The Mirror of possibilities
by heyo
Summary: The war is over,and Harry wants to continue with his life. But his hopeful plans for the future encounter a glitch in the form of an Alternative World where his parents are alive and he has siblings! Continues after book 7.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on J.K Rowling's Books, which are 100% NOT mine.

**Summary**: the war is over, and Harry wants to continue with his life, a new home, Auror training and maybe even get married and have children in time. But his hopeful plans for the future encounter a glitch, in the form of an Alternative world where his parents are alive and he has siblings.

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Prologue**

Training to be an Auror was hell!

That was all Harry could think about as he entered his room; he was so tired, training had lasted longer than usual.

With a heartfelt sigh he threw himself on his bed staring into space absently, feeling his body go limp with fatigue. But as usual he knew he won't be able to sleep until he took a warm shower, it helped him relax not just physically but mentally too. It was his routine after a day of training, but for some reason he didn't feel like jumping in the shower, eating dinner, then go to bed to get some rest before he had to wake up to another day of training. He just wanted lie down and relax.

He had started Auror training over a year ago, the summer after the Last battle, the Hogwarts battle, and all was going well. He was absorbing information faster than his comrades, and his magic was helping him more than ever, he seemed to learn everything so fast; spells curses and even physical defense.

Unfortunately for him he had been given to a trainer who was considered tough and unrelenting in the Auror department, so training took a new meaning for him and those other trainees who were unlucky enough to get to be in the same group with him, but today had been especially hard, for him specifically.

His trainer had decided to give him a longer training session that was extra grueling, and that was saying something as training usually left him unable to move.

The reason for this very special training session became apparent by the end of the training session when his trainer took the time after they were left alone to informed him that he had handed in an official request to the Head Auror, that Harry be moved another level up in Auror training, the last level.

That was good news! But … what then? Becoming an active Auror? He was only eighteen years old, well almost nineteen next week. But Aurors were usually at least twenty two years old when they graduated training.

He sighed again, well who cares; he was used to things being different for him. Everything was always different for him. Why not Auror training too!

"So what" he murmured angrily, trying to stare a hole in the newly painted ceiling, so what, he repeated silently, and it's not like he didn't deserve this. Because he did. He had worked hard to get to this stage. Sure he was younger than any of the other Aurors who were in their last stages of training, but still, he deserved it. And getting upset didn't usually help, so why not go along with it. It is for the best, and after all he did join Auror training to get ahead so maybe one day he'll be in a position to change and make a difference in the Ministry.

With a thoughtful expression he remembered what Kingsley said to him on the first day of training, or as he should call him these days, the Minister of Magic, after all he was officially voted the Minister last month, after working as the fill in Minister until things calmed down enough to have elections, He thought with a grimace.

Kingsley had looked at him and told him with his calm demure "what you achieve here Harry will be with your own abilities, you won't get special treatment. So I don't want to hear any nonsense about favors and a special treatment, that's not my way in managing the Ministry, got it?"

The Wizarding world may want to give him anything he wants, but Kingsley made sure Harry understood that if he becomes an Auror it'll be because he deserves it.

Harry grimaced when his eyes glanced over a day old newspaper thrown on his desk nearby, "Mini Dumbledore" another nickname; well at least he's no longer "The Chosen One". He should have known that even a year after defeating Voldemort, he'd still be news and his progress will be observed as closely as ever by the Wizarding world.

Harry had to admit, even if just to himself, that he was powerful, too powerful he sometimes thought, though not as knowledgeable as Dumbledore, yet; he had so much magic inside him and it took Auror training and the challenges that it brought with It to realize that. But still! "Mini Dumbledore" how absurd is that.

On a positive note, at least Dumbledore's portrait in his study downstairs found it amusing when he told him about it. He was now into calling him "Mini Me", Harry recalled with a rueful smile. and as Hermione put it after seeing his new nickname, all the while glaring at a chuckling Ron "someday Harry, you'll be The Wizard that others are compared to, till then keep your head up and be proud of your achievements"

Well, he was proud. He _is_ proud.

Looking around him at his room, he grimaced, he'll have even less time to redecorate Grimauld place now than before. Kreacher won't be happy about it. Oh well.

Standing up, stretching his stiff limbs with a groan, Harry headed downstairs to the kitchen, he should let Kreacher know that the redecorating will be put on hold, even though there were just a few rooms left to arrange and clean. For the time being the house was more than livable. And the most important thing was that Sirius "mother" has been removed from the wall. Thank you Kreacher!

He chuckled, while he jumped the last stairs, as he remembered the deal he had struck with the house-elf; remove the portrait and the house will have residents again. And now when he thought about it, this place wasn't so bad, all it needed was some fixing up, and then he'll make sure the house was used for light purposes. Everyone approved of his redecorating decision; it'll make even Sirius chuckle if he saw how his old home has turned into the opposite of what his parents wanted.

Well almost everyone approved, Mrs. Weasley was still trying to convince him to moved in with them, at the burrow, but Harry knew he needed some space, he's been living with other people, in their houses and homes all his life; first the Dursley's then with the Weasley's, even at Hogwarts he never had a place of his own.

He needed a home of his own, he thought decisively. And this was it.

Pushing open the door to the kitchen, Harry stood still for a minute and took a moment to look at the place where many of the Order's meetings took place. None of the members would have recognized the place if they saw it now. It was no longer the gloomy and dark place it used to be filled with and air of constant tension and fear, now his kitchen looked the way a family kitchen should look like; airy, comfortable and calm.

Running his hand through his shoulder length hair, Harry stood in the middle of the kitchen looking around, he had to smile, and smile, he never thought it'll ever happen, but maybe things were finally going his way, he decided.

He was at peace; He had a family. He had a home.

He was happy.

**Author's Note: **My first story, I hope it'll be as good as some of the stories out there. My story continues after the end of the seventh book- "Harry potter and the Deathly Hollows". It's an Alternative world fic. I know there's a lot like it but I wanted to TRY to do my own. Hope you enjoy!

So I reedited the Prologue, its still shorter than the rest of the chapters, but I think it's better now


	2. what could have been

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter one**

"What could have been"

Joshua ran as fast as he could till he reached his room, the slam of his bedroom door echoed through Godric manor.

Lily sighed and looked at James who rolled his eyes and said "don't worry Lily. It was the right thing to do even if he wants to act like a child about it" he paced the length of the kitchen then looked at his wife again, with a weary breath he added "he's sixteen years old, he should know better than to sneak out of school when Albus warned us of the latest threats against us, he knows the risks!"

"I know James" Lily said with troubled expression "but, he's grown up listening to Sirius talk about Hogwarts and the pranks you guys did" with a shake to her head she went over to the sink and began to absently dry the dishes "I just want him to live his life and not to worry about the war or the danger that's waiting for him when he finishes school"

James nodded and when he saw she was too busy to notice, went over and kissed her cheek and with a slight smile and a wave of his wand dried the dishes "you seem to forget that you're a witch darling"

"for your information Mr. Potter I did not forget, it just helps me relax when I'm stressed" with a look over her shoulder she added softly "don't change the subject James"

"I'm not changing the subject, I just think Joshua should grow up, he's not a child, he should know better" with a nod towards the kitchen door he added "just look at Fran, she's careful she listens to her teachers why can't he just do the same! Is it too much to ask"

With a laugh lily replied "James you never listened to our teachers, and we both know Joshua takes after you don't we?"

With a sigh James glared weakly at his wife and said "let's just go, we're late as it is, and the order meeting will start in half an hour"

Lily watched him march up the stairs to call Joshua, and with a worried expression walked to the library, with a knock she entered. Looking around she couldn't spot Fran immediately until she saw red curls sticking over one of her old Hogwarts school books.

"Are you ready Fran? It's time to go" lily pointed at her school book "is that my old charms book?"

With a scowl Fran looked over her book and said "its Francesca mum not Fran, I hate it when you call me Fran" Lily smiled weakly "sorry honey, come on we're leaving".

Fran jumped up from the floor and said "I'm taking this book with me mum, I want to finish it before I go back to school"

Lily looked over and nodded "sure. but isn't it too advanced it for you?"

Fran rolled her eyes "it's not advanced mum, it's a sixth year book"

"You're going to your fourth year Franny, not your sixth" Joshua said as he entered the library with James behind him scowling.

"Don't call me Franny, mum tell him to stop calling me Franny!"

"oooo is Franny mad" Joshua answered smirking and snatching the book from her loose hold.

"Give that back, now" Fran screamed while jumping up and down trying to reach the book that Joshua was holding up, out of her reach.

Lily looked at Joshua "give her back her book Joshua, and Fran stop screaming"

Fran scowled even harder and said under her breath as she snatched her book from the smirking Joshua "it Francesca, Francesca "James who was standing behind her ruffled her hair and said "calm down he's just teasing you"

"Joshua you're going first" Lily said as she reached for the pot of floo powder.

Joshua with a last smirk at a scowling Fran, took a pinch of floo powder from his mum and headed toward the fireplace.

"Remember to pronounce clearly "Number 12 Grimmauld place" we don't want an incident like the last time" Lily said with a raised eyebrow.

Joshua glowered at her, then with a glare at a giggling Fran, sniffed and said "it was intentional mum, I wanted to see Knockturn alley"

"Well, try not to "want to see it" again. Go ahead Joshua we don't have time for this" James snapped.

"Fine!" then threw the pinch of floo powder into the fireplace, and when it turned a bright green got in. "Number 12 Grimmauld place" he pronounced with a sarcastic edge, next thing he felt himself swirl into the fireplace and fall out on his knees into a familiar dark kitchen, coughing and chocking.

He felt hands pull him out of the way with a chuckle, just as Lily came through with a graceful swirl to land on her feet beside him, then with an amused look and a slight smile at him she headed straight out of the door towards the meeting room.

Joshua still scowling, looked at Sirius who let go of him and whispered "can't keep your balance yet Joshua, not to worry I'll teach you. After all, your dad is hopeless at flooing too so he can't teach you, can he now?"

Remus who was sitting at the table behind them snorted "ya because you're so good at teaching Sirius"

"Or keeping your balance" Tonks added with a grin.

Sirius winked at Joshua "don't listen to those two, that's just jealousy speaking"

Remus snorted again "of course it is Sirius, why who wouldn't want to be a forty plus year old man who has illusions that he's still a teenager" then without sparing him a another glance, turned back to continue his conversation with Tonks who was grinning from ear to ear, while her hair was changer colors from blond to red and back.

Joshua not answering, rolled his eyes at his uncles banter and marched straight to where Fred and George Weasley we're sitting whispering.

"Hey" he grunted sitting down beside Fred who was looking over to where Ginny was now sitting with a giggling Fran, while James stood behind them talking quietly to a now serious Sirius.

"Wait till we tell you what we discovered" Fred said, taking his eyes of his sister, who was now glaring at him for ease dropping.

Joshua's eyes sparkled "what? Did you manage to solve the problem with the new edition dungbombs?" he said starting to smile.

George looked at him and answered with a grin "no no no my dear sir, it's a whole lot better" then whispered mischievely " we found something while cleaning the basement today" looking around making sure everyone was engrossed talking so no one heard them talking he added "it shows the weirdest things, wait till you see it"

"A mirror!" Fred added, like this explained everything.

Joshua looked at Fred then at George disbelieve evident on his face "riiight, a mirror, wow, well great, absolutely one hundred precent great, you just made my day" he snorted.

Then with a thoughtful look, he looked back and forth between the two, and seeing they were still looking at him with identical grins, sighed and asked "so what does this great mirror show?" with narrowed Joshua added "the future? Wow that would be great, imagine if I knew what will happen in the future, I can sell the information for loads" then with faraway look in his eyes he added "oh wow I can see what Fran looks like and how she turned out, I can make her so mad!" then he grinned at the twins "Maybe even get her to do my homework so I won't tell anyone what I saw"

"As much as that sounds like fun, sorry to say mate that it doesn't show the future" Fred said "or I don't think so! We aren't sure what it shows actually" then added quickly "shhh, your dad is looking at you".

Joshua rolled his eyes and turned to his dad who seemed to be the last order member left in the kitchen. He blinked, was he so engrossed talking to Fred and George he didn't see everyone leaving the room.

"Behave Joshua, the meeting won't take long" James stated with a long stare at Joshua then with a look at both Fred and George, James left the kitchen.

"Well, you seem to be in trouble" Fred said with a grin.

Joshua huffed "it wasn't my fault, I just wanted some sweets from honeydukes, and dad thinks I shouldn't have left the school with everything going on" then with a scoff added sarcastically "it's not like he didn't break every school rule there was and sneaked out of school all the time"

George and Fred exchanged a glance.

"What?" Joshua asked.

Fred answered reluctantly "well, things aren't going well Joshua, you should be careful".

Then with another shared look between the twins, George said "we didn't want you to worry but we heard mum and dad talking, it seems your family have gotten some new threats, and Dumbledore been trying to convince your dad move into Hogwarts with you guys and your mum".

Joshua looked at them, then said slowly "but mum works at Hogwarts, she's the history professor, what will dad do? He's an Auror, he can't just take a year long vacation from work"

"We heard them say that Dumbledore offered your dad the defense position along with Remus, it seems your dad will handle the upper years" Fred said, then looked at George who added "anyway, it won't change much. I mean your parents live in Hogsmeade now while you guys are at school, so it won't be a drastic move. At least this way it'll be easier on your mum, she won't need to get to school every morning and go back there in the evening".

A silence echoed for a minute, them Joshua asked hesitantly "there were always threats made against our family, what's so different now?" with a sigh he added "I mean my older brother was murdered by you-know who, I know. And I know mum and dad worry all the time about us being targets, but nothing happened since!" with a disturbed look at the twins he added "it's been seventeen years, surly he won't come after us again"

"We don't know, but we get why your dad's been so stressed lately, the threats are worse than before Joshua" Fred murmured.

"I keep forgetting you guys are almost twenty years old sometimes" Joshua said with a weak smile.

With a laugh that Joshua was certain was meant to lighten the atmosphere George said "well the world need laughter too, especially these days"

"Right, well how about we check out this miracle mirror then" Joshua laughed more energetically.

With a glance at the door to make sure no one was listening, Fred said "sure, I guess we can go now, the girls will be busy doing whatever girls do, and the Order is busy with his meeting" with a grin he added "I think now would be the perfect time to show you our big discovery".

Joshua rolled his eyes, then stood up and headed to the door "well come on then, what are you guys waiting for"

"Coming" the twins chorused.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Author's Note**: hope you enjoyed.. And I'd really appreciate some feedback. Thanks.


	3. The Mirror

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter Two**

"The Mirror"

James listened abstractedly, for the second time in the same meeting, to the argument going on between the order members, particularly between Sirius and Molly Weasley.

With a sigh he looked at Lily with raised eyebrows, remembering how he told Lily that Sirius was going to start the same argument again, ofcourse Lily answered that Sirius won't be able to do it even if he wanted to, because the meeting was supposed to be about other topics and not even the great Sirius Black will be able to draw the conversation into that topic again. With another look and a smirk, James congratulated himself for being right, again, and ignored Lily's rolled eyes when she noticed his smirk.

"it's not your decision Molly, you can't decide for the boy, if he wants to join the order then he's entitled to a hearing, not to instant refusal because he's nineteen years old" then with a frustrated yell "bloody hell, I was younger when I joined the order".

"The fact that you Sirius joined the order when you were eighteen does not mean that Neville can join as well, the circumstances are different" Molly shot back with a glare that would have scared anyone but Sirius.

"Why don't we all calm down, Molly sit down please" Remus, the voice of reason, as James always referred to him, tried with his calm voice tried to get everyone to settle down, but as usual Sirius choose to ignore him, and instead to turn to Moody who was sitting on the edge of his seat, with his magical eyes snapping with a sharp look, from the argument between molly and Sirius to the one being led by Hestia Jones.

"What do you think Moody? Don't you think anyone who's over seventeen should be given the option to choose whether to join the order or not?"

"I do, why in my days ... " Moody started to say only to be interrupted by Tonks who was bouncing on her seat "we're not in your days Moody, the fact is I do believe Neville and anyone" with a glance at Molly "who wants to join should be given the option and not refused immediately, as long as they are over the legal age".

"It's not their choice, they have families, they're young and impulsive, they think war is a game" Molly screeched glaring furiously at Tonks "and it's not because I'm trying to protect my children, it's because I know that Ron is not ready and neither is Neville".

"How would you know?" Sirius joined the discussion aggressively again "you look at them like they're children, well they're not, they're adults Molly and should be treated as such" then with a snort he added "you're always mothering them, they should decide for themselves like we did".

"You only decided for yourself because you didn't had a family backing you up" Molly exclaimed trembling with anger while looking at Sirius, who became rigid at her quick reply.

James jumped to his feet throwing Lily's hand that was holding on to his arm trying to stop him from entering the discussion that had turned into a fight "that is not true and you know it Molly, he has a family, we're it" James stated firmly "and he's right, and you know it, you can't protect them forever, they're not children anymore".

"Just because you don't have a son of age to protect James, does not give you the right to stop us from trying to protect ours" Molly screamed back.

Then realizing what she said and seeing Lily face draining of color, she said quietly looking at Lily "that's not what I meant Lily" putting her hand over her trembling mouth.

Silence filled the room, where there was shouting between various members now there was only quiet.

"why you …" Sirius started coming out of his shock, only to be interrupted by Albus, who choose until now to sit quietly and listen to everyone speak "enough Sirius, Molly, James sit down. Everyone sit down please"

Arthur who had stood up when Molly shouted her last statement looked at a strained James and a pale Lily, then sat down slowly and said quietly "James you know she didn't mean it like that, she's just worried and upset, we're all worried about our kids".

James nodded stiffly and sat down quietly; reaching for Lily's trembling hand, he held on to it and squeezed it trying to calm her down.

Albus looking around and seeing that everyone had returned to their seats said calmly "I realize that everyone here wants to protect the younger generation, one way or another, but we all must understand that in war it could become almost impossible to do so. We can only do our best".

Glancing at both James and Molly from under his half moon glasses, he sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly "there for, I believe we can find a middle ground, we can help the younger people by training them so they'll be able to protect themselves" he raised his hand, when Molly looked like she wanted to protest "Only train them Molly, so they'll be able to protect themselves if they needed to do so. I believe that would be a good start".

He looked around the table at the order members, a bristling Molly and a glaring Sirius then ended his speech with "let's think about it and we'll reach a final decision next meeting".

Turning to Remus, he said "Now, to other matters. Remus, you had some updates about suspicious deatheaters movements among muggles?"

James didn't listen to what Remus started saying, all he could think about was a child long gone, and the hurt that never went away even after seventeen years. He sighed, and looked at lily from under his lashes; she still seemed pale, but more composed than before. She was sitting with a straight back, challenging anyone to say another word about her eldest son. the redhead temper in action, James thought with a fond smile.

With another heavy sigh, James tried to refocus on what was going on around him in the meeting, and consoled himself that at least this day couldn't get any worse.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Would you two stop goofing around? I want to see this mirror thingy before the order meeting is over!"

Joshua was usually a very funny guy, a prankster like his father and uncles used to be, as a matter of fact if you asked anyone at school what they thought about him, they'd immediately say that he's quite the playful guy that always looks at the bright side of life with a permanent smile.

Well, right now Joshua couldn't remember the last time he laughed, hell even smiled.

It started with his dad lecturing him, his dad of all people, lecturing him about not sneaking out after curfew, and now instead of having fun with the twins like he expected when he came today, he seemed to be getting more and more pissed as the minutes flew by.

Looking at his watch again, Joshua exhaled slowly, trying to calm down, relax, be patient he thought, it's only been half an hour since they left the kitchen, supposedly heading to check out this miraculous mirror the twins have been raving about. Looking at the twins again, he frowned; they didn't seem to want to take him to this mirror, which was weird because they were the ones who told him about it in the first place.

Indeed, glancing at them for the Merlin knew what time, they seemed to have decided to play "James bond" now, instead of going straight to the basement, Joshua thought a little irritably, which was bizarre considering they didn't know who "James bond" was!

He frowned when Fred ducked behind a statue, stared at his twin and gave a weird signal with his left hand, that looked to Joshua like he was trying to scratch his left ear with his finger bent the wrong way, but George seemed to understood what Fred was saying cause he tip toed over to the next corner in the corridor and looked around carefully, checking if someone was going to jump him no doubt! Joshua thought sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes, then on an interesting thought he wondered if his eyes could get stuck in the back of his head if he kept rolling them whenever he got annoyed. Shaking his head he decided it was time to take action instead of following these two. It was either that or going crazy with them playing it so cool and mysterious.

He was so into his thought that he didn't notice a piece of sticking out carpet on the floor, next thing he knew he was tripping over his own feet, trying to steady himself he managed to do so by taking hold of the first thing that his hand touched, the statue Fred was hiding behind, and banging his chin into it and falling to his knees, the sound of metal echoed in the hollow corridor.

"shhhhh …" and there went Fred again with the 'shhh' of his. Fine he'll keep quiet, but that doesn't mean he have to stay behind them and do as he was told.

With a decisive nod, Joshua took action; standing up, rubbing his chin, he marched by Fred who was still hiding behind the statue and around the corner George was looking around, and continued toward the basement.

Next thing he heard were two identical laughs as the twins raced to catch up with him.

"Someone seems to be in a bad mood, Fred" George said as he walked beside Joshua on the left.

"yup, impatient too. Could it be because he got yelled at by a certain parent, my dear twin" Fred answered from Joshua's right.

"Could be" then heading to the door at the end of the corridor George said "now Joshua, no need to get upset we just wanted to make sure Ginny and Fran don't follow us".

When Joshua only raised an eyebrow in question, Fred continued "seems like our little sister has decided the basement was the place to hang out lately, we haven't been able to stay there by ourselves for too long to check the mirror out before she joins us there. Probably figured we had something up our sleeves" Fred added with a grin "she takes after us you know, so smart".

"So beautiful" George continued fluffing his hair mockingly, only to be stopped by Joshua who smirked at them and added "ya, but at least she's not annoying. Now could you two stop, I want to know what this mirror thing is".

"Trying to annoy your dad more by getting into trouble, are you now" Fred said knowingly grinning "not to worry that's what we're here for" then added mock seriously "it's our mission to help the young get into trouble".

Reaching the basement door, Fred turned the handle and pushed once, twice, the door didn't move. George pushed his twin out of the way with a wink at Joshua, and tried to open the door himself only to stop after a minute of pushing "well, it seems like the door is locked" he said blinking with surprise.

"The spell is "alohomora" in case you guys forgot" Joshua said with a pointed stare at their wands "didn't you two like graduate a couple of years ago".

"Right you are mate, well here it goes" and with his wand pointing at the basement door Fred tapped the door handle and said "alohomora".

Joshua watched the door swing open with a creek, and stepped forward to look around the dirty room "quite a cheerful room isn't it" he grinned at the twins, then with an excited laugh started looking around the room "ew, something just crawled under that sofa. Doesn't matter, where's the mirror, I don't see it"

"Its right over there, in the tall closet" answered George while moving forward toward two closets that stood, one beside the other, near a desk which had some weird purple instrument on top of it, Joshua watched bubbles pop out of the instrument only to burst immediately, creepy, he thought.

Reaching the closet George opened it carefully then looked at it for some time, with a proud grin he gestured to Joshua to come closer then looked at Fred who was busy trying to get the bubbles that came out of the instrument into a glass jar he found nearby.

Coming forward Joshua looked at his reflection in the mirror, then looked more closely, then with a frown knocked on it, "well, what's so special about it, all I see is my reflection?" he said looking at George and Fred who had joined them.

"We thought the same think at first, what's so special? but then Fred here decided it was a good idea to try using blood on the mirror, to see if that might change anything, didn't you Fred?" George looked at Fred with a proud grin, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. Fred grinned back while Joshua stared passively at both of them, then sighed "ok, fine let's assume Fred got blood on it on purpose, which I doubt by the way, what happened next?"

Fred grinned at Joshua and whispered theatrically "I nicked myself while I was working and got some of the blood on the mirror, but for the purpose of this story, I did it on purpose" then turning to George said "continue my dear twin".

"weeeeell, at first nothing happened but then looking closely we could see people in the mirror, couldn't we Fred".

"Yes we could George, and not just any people" he paused a dramatic pause and if possible his grin stretched even more "we saw OUR family" he stressed.

"so let me get this straight, the mirror is actually like a spy mirror, we can watch and even listen to whoever we want through it, cool !" Joshua exclaimed turning to the mirror "so how does this work? Say I want to spy on Fran, should I say her name and put my blood on it?"

"Yes, well, the thing is we don't know how, what and where?" George answered quite intelligently.

"Come again?" Joshua asked, and ruffling his bright red hair distractedly he looked back at the mirror "then what do you know?"

"We are quite certain of one thing only" Fred answered this time "and it's that the esteemed Weasley family we saw in the mirror is not our family" he finished with firm nod.

"Then who are they?" Joshua asked again "I mean how many Weasley's are there? You're the only family if what my parents told me is true. Your dad was an only child wasn't he?"

Fred nodded "He was. We're not exactly sure who they were?" Fred said looking at George for confirmation. But George just shook his head "that's right, but whoever they were we did see some weird things. a guy was visiting them".

"What? Visiting who?" Joshua asked confused, looking between the twins.

"The other Weasley family" George said like it was obvious what he was talking about, Joshua thought, rubbing his head, then ruffled his hair again. He was getting a headache.

Sighing he looked at the twins with a raised eyebrow and asked "so why is it so weird, who was visiting them? You-know who?"

Fred and George looked at him like he was an alien "of course not" Fred answered, then "are you okay Joshua, you seem to be asking some weird questions here!"

"Fine, sorry. So who visited them?" he asked

When the twins shared another look, Joshua decided that if they did it again he was sooo going to snap, what was so weird about this guy visiting the "other Weasley's" as the twins called them.

"He looked like your dad actually, but younger" Fred said carefully, then added when Joshua didn't say anything "you and Fran have red hair like your mum, but he had black hair, longer than your dad. Shoulder length, quite fetching"

"We weren't sure if we should tell you, but well it's probably a fiction mirror or something of the sort" George added then with a grin at his twin continued "and his hair length was great, maybe we should try it".

"So who was he then, my dad doesn't have relatives" Joshua said with an angry expression "you think he lied?" he asked.

"No we don't" George answered quietly.

"Can't you think of anyone else who might look so much like your dad, but younger, he also had green eyes like your mum" Fred added slowly, then quieted when George gave him their "mother's look" as they called it, which said- you're taking it too far.

"What are you guys hiding from me?" Joshua noticing the look, glared at both of them "Come on, spell it out!".

"We think it shows dead and alive people together" Fred said "not sure how, but that's that"

"And ..." with another shared look between them, that had Joshua gritting his teeth with frustration, George continued "we think this guy we saw was your brother"

Joshua took a step back stunned "Brother! I don't have a brother" then with a shake of his head said "I mean, I had a brother, but he's dead. What's wrong with you two?"

Taking another deep breath George looked at Fred, then back at a wide eyed Joshua and repeated "ya your brother. Well, the "other Weasley's" called him a Potter" with another look at his twin he added "they called him Harry Potter".

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Author's Note**: too dramatic? Not? Tell me what you think. I'm new at this and I have to admit it's harder than I thought. What was I thinking... it's so not easy putting thoughts into words; I have a new respect for all those Authors out there.

**Important** - I'm not sure whether to bring someone to Harry's world, or to stick to the way all alternative world stories go, by bringing Harry to where his parents are, which I have to say is way more entertaining ... Tell me what you guys think.

Thanks for the reviews; they were really appreciated, put a big smile on my face actually ..

Feedback would **still** be appreciated.


	4. Harry Potter

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter Three**

"Harry Potter"

Joshua stared at the twins, standing there in front of him, looking for once in their lives serious, and he snapped.

"Harry Potter? My brother is dead you idiots, do you think death is a joke? Do you have any idea how sensitive mum and dad get whenever he's mentioned?" pacing away from them towards the sofa situated across the room, he turned back with a glare.

Fred looked at George, who looked back at him, Joshua watched as the twins seemed to have a silent conversation with their eyes. and felt himself start boiling with anger the more time passed, with them standing there not saying anything.

"Well" he snapped again, fed up with their behavior, for once not finding it great or awesome, as he often described this form of silent conversation to Sirius.

Finally, the twins seemed to snap out of whatever the heck they were doing, and turned together to look at him quietly. If Joshua was in a better mood he would have noticed that they were behaving differently, they weren't trying to make him laugh, trying to smooth things over, make him less anger, as they did frequently with their mother when they did something that crossed that invisible line instated by her.

Fred looked at him in the eye and said seriously "do you really think we'd make a joke about what your family went through Joshua?"

No he didn't think they'd lie about something like that, especially with the Weasley's having gone through their own tragedy, about seven years ago. According to his mum, Bill Weasley, the eldest son of Molly and Arthur Weasley died during a raid on Gringotts, where he had just started working as a curse breaker.

Joshua took a deep breath, then said sharply "explain"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"A Mirror?" Fran was looking at Ginny with her bent sideways thoughtfully "you mean like the mirror of Erised?"

Ginny smiled "no, well I'm not exactly sure! Fred and George are always hanging out in the basement, so it's not like I could check it out for myself!" then with wide eyes she added "but I did hear them talking about it, I actually used their own invention" her smile widened "the Extendible Ears, they were talking about it showing some other Weasley's! and talking about seeing your dad, I think, but he had long hair! Weird right?"

"Aha, really weird" Fran answered, looking finally interested when her dad was mentioned "so you think it shows people's true desire like the mirror of Erised." Then with a shake of her head she continued "no that doesn't sound right, why would the twins want to see my dad with their family and with long hair too"

Ginny giggled, eyes sparkling with mischief, and said "well he would look good with long hair, too bad he's not twenty years younger"

"Ginnyyyy ew that's my dad you're talking about here" Fran pulled a face at the way the conversation seemed to be going.

Looking suddenly at a quiet Ginny she let out a long sigh "well, what else did you hear?"

"I heard them mentioning Bill too" Ginny said examining her nails, then looking up she said quietly "they said he was there too! So it could be like the mirror of Erised couldn't it? I wish I could see Bill again"

Fran feeling uncomfortable tried to think of something to answer Ginny, what could one say when a friend was missing a lost brother, Fran thought sadly. Nothing. Who knew better than her family what it was like to see eye's losing their sparkle as suddenly as it came, Fran knew that she couldn't tell Ginny it'll go away with time, her parents were proof that it didn't.

She remembered the first time she came upon a picture of Harry, it was always there in front of her, on top of the fireplace, but she never looked at it closely, she always just passed it by thinking it was a photo of her dad when he was a child. It wasn't such an uncommon mistake, Harry looked remarkably like her dad when he was young, she had compared one of her dad's photo to Harry's once, when her parents weren't around to see her. She didn't want her mum seeing her look that closely at the picture, she would've got upset.

She was eight years old when she first asked her mum who he was, cause it was only then that she noticed his green eye's, like her mum's. Neither she nor Joshua had green eyes, Joshua got his eyes from their dad, hazel, and she got her eyes from her grandma, or so her mum told her, dark blue eyes.

She always wished she had eyes like her mum, but Harry was the lucky one, Fran grimaced, or not so lucky. After all, according to her mum, Harry was killed when he was one year old, by order of you-know-who. She always wondered why you-know-who would want to kill her brother, a one year old baby, but her mum always just shook her head and said they didn't know.

Fran knew she couldn't ask her dad, she wouldn't get an answer from him, whenever she or Joshua asked about Harry her dad would get up with tight lips and ask them if they didn't have anything else to do other than ask questions. Her dad only got uptight over Harry, understandable but still he was their brother they had a right to know.

Looking up Fran realized that she hadn't commented on Ginny's last statement, but what could she say. Though, Ginny didn't seem to notice the lack of answer, she was fiddling with a ring on her right hand, Bill gave her that ring, Fran remembered.

"So…" Fran started trying to get back to the subject and away from these kind of thoughts "why don't we go check this mirror out, maybe I can help activate it. The twins aren't smarter than us you know!"

It took Ginny a minute to respond then with a small hopeful smile she nodded "okay, but I should warn you that I think the twins are already there, they're always there"

"So what? We have a right to check out this mirror too" then with cautious look at Ginny added "it's not dangerous or anything is it? Cause we should tell mum and dad if it is"

Ginny shook her head smiling "where is your sense of adventure?" then added when Fran didn't seem convinced by that answer "I don't think it's dangerous Fran, honestly, it just shows people, how could it be dangerous!"

"Right then, let's go" Fran said getting up and dusting her jeans from the dust that got stuck to it, with a frustrated growl she looked at Ginny "how can you guys stay here, it's so … gloomy and dirty!"

Ginny looked at Fran who was still trying to remove all the dirt stuck to her jeans before answering "it's not so bad, we got used to it. Even though it is a bit depressing, but we haven't stayed here long, just a week".

Opening the door she added "Coming?"

"Yup, let's go".

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Bill?" Joshua asked passively "you saw Bill? Your brother Bill?" with a sigh, he decided that this headache will not be cured anytime soon, if this day continued for much longer, or with anymore surprises.

"So …" rubbing his forehead, Joshua waved his hand around with no specific direction "you saw the same brother you told me died in a raid? Right?"

Fred rolled his eyes "you're not listening Josh"

"I am listening; you guys just aren't making any sense!" Joshua glared furiously at Fred.

George shook his head to stop Fred from answering, then looking at Joshua who was now glaring at him said "why don't we just try activating the mirror again ok? That way you can see for yourself"

Joshua looking at them, Seeing they were serious, nodded firmly "fine, whose blood we gonna use then?"

"Mine" Fred answered immediately "it worked when I used my blood before, so we shouldn't change anything"

"no I want to try it" Joshua said with a determined look "you guys supposedly saw this other Weasley family when you used your blood, I should use mine if I want to see my family shouldn't I"

Fred and George looked at him then before either could answer him, he went over to the desk and started rummaging in the drawers, sneezing when a cloud of dust blew out from one of the drawers.

"There's no knife or anything I can use here" Joshua said slamming the last drawer and sneezing again when some powder blew up in his face.

Before either of the twins could answer him, the basement door opened, "what do you need a knife for?" Fran asked leaning on the door she just opened with Ginny standing beside her looking at the mirror behind George curiously.

"Well?" Fran asked looking pointedly at Joshua

"What? What business is it of yours" Joshua answered rudely

Fran bristled at his tone, but then with a smirk and a quirked eyebrow she looked at her left hand, angled it left then right, like she was interested in its shape, Joshua thought irritated, then looking back up at him said "well, I don't know Joshua, it looks like you're doing something dad wouldn't approve of" then after she let this sink in for a minute added "and I'd really hate for you to get another lecture from dad! Who knows, you might get a worse punishment this time, worse than getting grounded …"

For a minute Joshua just stared at her, hard, anger rose steadily within him. feeling the twins squirm waiting for him to answer her, he took a deep breath then looked her in the eye before asking "what do you want?"

"I want to watch what you guys are going to do with the mirror?" Fran answered immediately looking back at Joshua determinately.

Ginny looked at the twins before saying quietly "I heard you guys talking about the mirror and what it shows" when she saw the twins smirk she added "I want to see Bill too" and watched their smirks fall as if slapped off.

"We're not certain it's gonna work Gin" Fred said looking at her, ignoring Joshua and Fran who were now watching them closely "and anyway, you know Bill's not coming back, it may be just an illusion what we see in the mirror"

Ginny smiled sadly "I'm not stupid Fred, I know that"

"I'm an adult" she added when the twins kept staring at her indecisively "I think I can handle this. You know I was close to him, I just want to see him again"

Fred and George shared one of their looks that Fran knew Ginny hated; she could feel her beside her clenching and unclenching her fists slowly.

Ginny always told her how she hated having so many big brothers, not because they were all boys, but because all of them felt the need to protect her constantly, except Bill, who always gave her more freedom.

Fran knew that it was because of Bill that Ginny knew how to ride a broom, he had started sneaking her out of the burrow and taking her to the field near their home when she was eight years old, he was the one who taught her how to fly so well. It was one of Ginny's most fond memories, Fran knew.

"Fine"

Fran snapped out of her thoughts to see Joshua glaring at the twins for consenting, then with a petulant look at her said "fine" then added "just don't disturb us, got that Fran?".

Fran rolled her eyes, how childish, and to think he was the older one.

With a triumphant glance at a smiling Ginny, they got closer to the mirror.

Joshua looked at Fred and George, then held out his hand "can you use your wand to, I can't find a knife or anything of the sort"

With a shrug Fred got his wand out, then moved it on Joshua's right thumb, Fran jumped startled when she saw blood welling from the cut, and shrieked "what are you doing?"

Joshua glared at her "could you not scream my ears off Fran"

Ginny looked at the two of them, then asked Fred worriedly "why do you need the blood?"

Instead of Fred answering her, George answered "that's how we did it the last time" then added quietly "we're trying to take the same steps we took before"

"then why is Joshua using his blood" Ginny asked looking at Joshua who was trying to evade the tissue Fran took out of her pocket to dab at his cut.

Joshua answered this time, while grabbing Fran's tissue waving hand, with his left hand "because I want to see my family, they" he said pointing at the twins "got to see their family, now it's my turn to see my family" he finished, letting go of Fran's hand.

"We don't know that for sure, we just thought we'll use his blood instead of ours to see if there'll be a different reaction" George said looking at Ginny, then added when Joshua opened his mouth to object "we don't know if it'll show your family, we're speculating and you know it!"

"Fine, can we get on with it" Joshua snapped.

Striding forward Joshua touched the mirror with his bloody finger, and stared hard at the mirror, when nothing happened, he looked at the twins, but before he could open his mouth and say what he intended to say, bright light shone out of the mirror, blinding them.

Joshua heard Fran gasp and then a bump. Next thing they knew it was gone just as quickly as it came. Blinking Joshua looked around only to see Fred and George standing in front of Ginny, and Fran on the floor trying to stand up.

"How interesting!" Fred commented

"What do you mean interesting?" Joshua asked worried "didn't this happen before?"

"We don't actually know" Fred answered "I kind of touched the mirror and then closed the closet before going to the bathroom to wash the blood from my hand. George was the one who opened the closet after I left, and it was then that we saw them"

"I remember seeing a gleam from between the closet's doors, that's why I opened it" George completed "but I definitely didn't see this light. Awesome!"

"Look" Ginny was the first to return to the matter at hand, trying to get from behind the twins; she pointed at the mirror "the mirror! it's shimmering. Can you see anything inside, it's so white!" she said, excited.

"No, I can't" Joshua whispered, rubbing his eyes "but wait its clearing"

Fran still recovering from her fall stood up and dusted her jeans for the second time today, she thought irritated. elbowing Joshua for not helping her up, he grunted, but didn't even spare her a look. turning towards the mirror, she looked for what seemed so interesting that the twins and Joshua couldn't remove their eyes from it.

It was only then that she noticed him, he wasn't clear yet, but you could still make him out. he was sitting behind a desk in a bare room, head bent, and seemed to be writing?

What was so interesting about a guy writing!

Squinting to get a better look, she realized he had shoulder length hair, black hair, tucked behind his ears. but she couldn't see his face, It was bent over the papers he was writing on. Very interesting stuff, Fran thought sarcastically, so worth blackmailing her brother, a blackmail she knew Joshua was going to make her pay for by pranking her probably.

Bored with this scene, she started looking around her; Joshua seemed to have his eyes fixated on the man, not taking his eyes off him for a second, to his right Ginny looked confused, and when she met Fran's eye she quirked an eyebrow. Fran had to agree, what the hell? What were they staring at, what was so important about this guy?

Before she could open her mouth and ask them just that, the guy looked up as someone opened the door and stuck his face in. Staring at his face, as he seemed to be greeting his visitor, the question was out of her mouth before she knew she was going to ask it

"Is that dad?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Author's Note**: another chapter done! A very special thanks to all my awesome reviewers.

Also, as usual, any thoughts, suggestions and recommendations are appreciated. Thanks

**Next Chapter** - My obnoxiously pseudo Normal life


	5. My obnoxiously pseudo Normal life

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter Four**

"My obnoxiously pseudo Normal life "

Kreacher didn't take the news well, Harry thought, as he discreetly watched said elf stomp around the living room dusting the same table for the third time, glaring at him the whole time. Good thing he was busy. He wanted to finish this defense book before he went out to the burrow for the family dinner planned for this evening.

Harry grimaced and slid lower in his comfy chair, when a loud bang was heard behind him. Ignoring Kreacher was proving to be harder than he thought even with his book.

He knew that Kreacher wanted the house to look like it did the days the Blacks lived there, or as Kreacher put it "back to its glory", of course minus the dark objects and books, as Harry dictated when he first promised to move in and make the house into a home.

There was nothing to it, he decided, he couldn't let Kreacher continue on his own with the refurbishing and the redecorating. he didn't want to come back one evening after work and find a dark heirloom that belonged to the Black family back in his home. Or having to explain to Kreacher again that, yes it was a dark object, and, no it definitely can't stay.

Kreacher was like that, testing if Harry might relent with some dark object or another. Harry, of course, never did.

It took him months to get an agreement from Kreacher to remove Mrs. Black's photo, in exchange he had promised to leave the photo in the basement, and to let Kreacher care for it. Of course Kreacher wanted to please Harry at the time, because he wanted the house to have residents again, and the only way Harry would've agreed to that was if, and after, the photo was removed.

But now that Harry was living there, the threat of him no longer living there wasn't valid anymore. He liked the house too much, had changed it beyond recognition, making it a place he was comfortable with. A home.

Nop, no question about it, Kreacher was not continuing the redecorating on his own, he can bang away to his heart's content, he'll get bored with this eventually, Harry thought grimly, turning another page in his book. One thing for sure Kreacher was not getting free reign in his home, and He will not get into an argument or be forced to order Kreacher to remove some dark heirloom or object. No way. He liked the way things were, give and take, that's the basis of a good relationship one had with an employee. or in this case, with a house elf.

A crystal vase fell, shattering to pieces.

Startled by the sound, as he had not been expecting such a drastic measure to get his attention. Harry looked up, and cursed under his breath; that vase was a present from Hermione and Ron, they had given it to him the first time they came for dinner here, at his new home.

Well enough is enough, no more consideration. Or even give and take for that matter.

"Kreacher fix that vase please" Harry demanded then added when Kreacher fixed it "and come here so we can talk"

Kreacher apparently not liking either demand, glared, but complied none the less, when he stood in front of Harry, he continued with what he hoped was a firm tone "if something is bothering you, I expect you to say so, and not go around sulking."

"Now, I know that you want the house to look like it used to, and if you remember I said that's what I intended to do, all in good time. But, right now as you probably noticed I have been getting busier every day. That's the only reason I've put the redecorating on hold"

Looking at a silent Kreacher he raised an eyebrow "well, do you have anything to say?"

Kreacher looked up with a pitiful expression " Kreacher wanted do clean. for master Harry Potter" then added "master let Kreacher clean?"

Harry smoothing his hand over his hair, a habit he got into when he was embarrassed or nervous, trying to smooth hair that didn't need smoothing anymore, answered "Kreacher you know you can clean, I don't mind that, but any changes must be done by me. We already reached an understanding about this, didn't we? "

Kreacher nodded energetically "yes Master Harry Potter, Kreacher clean all rooms"

Eyes narrowed Harry said slowly "no, not all the rooms just the rooms we've already redecorated" then added carefully "didn't you have to go to Hogwarts today? Today is a Hogwarts day, isn't it?"

Kreacher looking up at Harry tearfully, then threw himself on the carpeted floor and started banging his head "master not want Kreacher here, Kreacher is bad elf, making master Harry Potter not wanting him"

"Kreacher Kreacher, enough, stop" Harry jumped from his chair, held Kreacher's hands and jerked him off the floor "I just asked ok, I told you headmistress McGonagall needed your help, didn't I?"

Kreacher sniffed pitifully "yes, but Kreacher made master Harry Potter favorite chocolate cake" he said hopefully with a change of topic, that to any listener might seem not related at all to the conversation they were having before. ofcourse Harry knew better.

"Are you trying to bribe me again Kreacher?" Harry asked "you know our deal, and tempting me with your delicious chocolate cake will not make me let you stay and not go to Hogwarts"

"Yes master Harry Potter" shuffling his feet and looking back dejectedly at Harry he popped out.

Harry sighed, and for the thousand time thanked Merlin that Professor McGonagall agreed to let him send Kreacher to Hogewarts to work in the kitchen, for a couple a days a week. He finally had the house to himself.

Harry closed his eyes and Relaxed back into his wonderful leather chair.

Finally. peace and quiet.

A ringing tone echoed suddenly through the house, making him jerk to his feet with his wand drawn, looking around, startled, not knowing what was going on.

Oh, oh right, the new doorbell. he was becoming more paranoid than Moody ever was.

Smoothing his hair again, he headed to the front door, jerking it open, and was pushed aside as his two best friends marched right in continuing an argument that seemed to have reached its peak at his front doorsteps.

Rolling his eyes Harry said after their retreating backs "why don't you two just come right in?"

"Harry where are you?" he heard Hermione call as she reached the kitchen.

Well there goes my peace and quiet, was all Harry could think about, glancing woefully at his ultra comfortable chair in the living room.

Closing the door he headed to the kitchen where his two best friends were making themselves right at home, rolling his eyes he headed to the table and sat down across from Ron who was still arguing with Hermione about George's joke shop, seems Hermione hasn't given up trying to convince Ron to stay at the ministry instead of joining his brother in the shop, Harry thought distractedly, watching Hermione make tea.

"top shelf 'mione, the tea bags are on the left" Harry decided to help her out, as Hermione kept banging his closet doors close while searching for the said tea bags.

Before he could open his mouth and comment on the subject they were arguing about, Hermione looked over her shoulder, and asked "Kreacher gone for the day Harry?"

Blinking at the change in topics, Harry tried talking again, but it seemed that it wasn't meant to be. He was interrupted again by Hermione, when she continued her argument with Ron.

"Honestly Ron, you'd make a much more respected living if you just continued working at the ministry, it's a more long term arrangement, and you always wanted to be an Auror didn't you?"

Snorting, Ron rolled his eyes in Harry direction before saying "Hermione, don't you remember that my dad worked at the ministry his whole life, I know what ministry work is like, and I'm not interested in working behind a desk all my life. I couldn't stand that" then added with grin "besides the joke shop makes a lot more money, and it's fun".

"Fun! Fun? Did you hear that Harry? It's fun!"

Harry just nodded, amused, watching as Hermione started working herself in to lecture mode.

glaring at Ron, Hermione continued "work is not about fun, it's an adults responsibility in life, sure it should be something he's partial to, but it's also about a standing in the magical society, it's about influence, how do you think laws will be made to help people if we don't fight for them …"

Harry hid his smile behind his cup of tea, which Hermione had managed to give him before she started on her tirade, looking at Ron he noticed the glazed look that Ron usually got when ever Hermione got into one of her 'lecture Ron' mode.

Trying to calm Hermione, Harry said quietly "Hermione, life isn't just about duties and responsibilities; everyone has the right to choose the path that makes them happy"

Ron who had snapped out of dream world when Harry started talking, nodded along with Harry's answer.

Then grinned when Harry added "and if Ron isn't happy with what he's doing then he should do what he thinks will make happier. He shouldn't stay in Auror training just for appearance sake, we only live once 'mione, you should remember that"

"ya 'mione" Ron said with the puppy look he knew Hermione couldn't resist.

Harry rolled his eyes heavenward when Hermione started blushing while looking at Ron, who then added seriously "anyway I have no intention of leaving Auror training, I do want to help change things there, but I don't think it's a long term thing for me. Maybe after a while when things settle down more I'll leave and take George's offer"

"well, I guess so" Hermione finally relented when she saw that Ron had no intention of leaving Auror training immediately, but then added with a firm look "but you will tell me before making any drastic decision, won't you Ron?"

"ofcourse I will 'mione"

Hermione nodded and turned to bring him a cup of tea.

Seeing that Hermione had no intention of saying anything else on the subject, Ron looked at Harry with a grin and asked "so what's this I hear, eh Harry? Already reached the Last Level of Auror training?"

The rest of the visit went well, or so Harry thought, at least there were no more fights between his two friends, or should he now call them love spats!

At any rate, he'll probably be seeing them in a couple of hours when he goes to that dinner at the Burrow, Harry thought sleepily as he closed his eyes and felt himself start to drift away into sleep on his comfy chair. Oh how he loved his chair.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dinner at the Weasley's was always an event that Harry never missed.

This time, Harry thought looking around, was no different. Sitting at the long table, that same evening with his arm around Ginny's chair, his hand playing with her hair; Harry was content.

Ginny and George had started the same argument they always had before the start of the quidditch season, with Ron, who was sitting across from them, beside Hermione.

The subject, as always, was the possibility of the Chudley Canons wining the next game, and if his hearing wasn't playing tricks on him, then it seemed that Ron was hopeful, again, that this season will be "the season", the one that'll put the Chudley Canons back on top.

"I'm telling you since they brought in that new player, the chaser, they have a true chance of winning the next game" Ron stressed for the million and one time "why they could even take the championship, wouldn't that be something" he said turning to Harry with glazed eyes "eh, Harry, the championship!"

It would be "something" alright, Harry thought amused, something out of this world.

It seemed to Harry that since his first year at Hogwarts, the Chudley Cannons were always going to win the "next season" but for some reason, or misshape as Ron always called it, it was never their fault that they actually lost all of their games.

The first time Ron had explained why the Chudley Cannons lost, instead of winning, was in their first year at Hogwarts. Ron had stood in the middle of their dormitory and explained that it was because the seekers wife left him a month before the game. it didn't matter to Ron that the seeker was cheating on his wife, Nop, all he did was glare at Dean who had dared to meet his eye while he was "explaining" and demanded "how could he concentrate on his game?" then looking around, daring anyone to answer back, face as red as a tomato, he had added "she couldn't have chosen a better time, probably got paid by the competition to leave him then" he had declared. then his trademark sentence came "next season they'll win, you'll see".

Harry didn't see actually.

"Aren't you tired of this argument Ron? Honestly, anyone would think the world would end if they didn't win this season or the next" Hermione had decided to join the argument "it's not like it would be a big surprise if they lost, now would it?" she asked, then turned back to Mrs. Weasley to hear the rest of her explanation, of how she made the turkey using only two complicated spells instead of three.

Seeing Ron's face turning red, while glaring at an oblivious Hermione, Harry decided to intervene before Ron exploded. Looking at Ginny and George, who were chuckling under their breath while looking at Ron's red face, Harry decided that as always he was on his own to calm Ron down.

"You could be right there Ron, I mean, they do look good this season" Harry said carefully, hoping Ron wouldn't ask what exactly looked good cause he was sure his attempt at calming him would be blown.

But it seemed Ron was much too deep in to his "obsession", as Harry liked to call it, and just turned his face so fast to him, Harry thought he might've gotten whiplash.

"Aren't they Harry?" he asked eagerly, happy to have found a new victim, Harry thought amused.

Before Ron could go into a more detailed explanation, Harry saw Bill and his family coming over from down the hill, where they had just arrived, apparently using a portkey. Looking at Mrs. Weasley who was too busy talking to Hermione to notice her elder son's appearance Harry said interrupting Ron "Bill is here ".

"Oh are they dear. They're late cause Fleur said they had to go over to her family home first before coming here" Molly said loudly to everyone who was present, regardless if they knew or not.

With a big smile, Molly bustled over to the new formed family and fused over Fleur and little Victoire, before ushering Fleur into the burrow to put the "little one" to bed, so she can sleep more comfortably there.

Beside Bill, was Gabrielle, who was now 11 years old, and getting ready to go to her first year at beauxbatons, Harry remembered Fleur mentioning this to him a month ago.

Gabrielle seeing him, smiled and ran over, when she reached him, she Composed herself before she saying with demure bow "hello, Mr. Potter it is a pleasure to see you again"

When Harry's eyebrows rose at the way she greeted him, she grinned and added "Mum say, I 'ave to practice my correct English, Vas it any good. I practiced a lot of time".

Smiling Harry nodded and said "yes, it was very lady like Gabrielle, and your English has improved a great deal since I last saw you"

"I was very small 'arry, I'm eleven now" she answered "I'm older now"

"Oh yes very much older Gabrielle" Harry answered with grin

His hand was squeezed; he looked to his left, where Ginny was sitting, She was not looking pleased Harry noticed immediately. But before he could ask her if everything was alright, Gabrielle touched his hand briefly before saying "I 'ave to go 'arry, Fleur said I 'ave to 'elp her with little Vicky"

"Sure, I'll see you later" Harry answered, watching her run to the burrow. Turning to his girlfriend he asked the obvious question, to Ginny it was at least "What's the matter?"

"It's obvious, isn't it Harry" Ginny said impatiently "I mean I like her and Fleur just fine, but Gabrielle's got a crush on you, you shouldn't encourage her"

Eyes sparkling Harry said "is she?" then when he saw Ginny was getting annoyed he quickly added "come on Gin, she's eleven, at least be jealous of someone I can actually date!"

With a sniff, Ginny kissed his cheek then turned back to George and continued the conversation they had started earlier about some new caramel toffee he was developing that changed the eaters nose shape for a whole day.

The rest of the evening went on like that, with jokes and laughs, and a family enjoying being together. If there was sometimes a loll in the conversation, whenever a sad memory of a lost member was recalled, It didn't last for long. The other members made sure of that.

It was supposed to be an evening for comfort and smiles and even memories, happy memories of a lost brother, friends and comrades, not of war, pain or loss. And so it was.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Morning after, at the ministry, Harry was in the middle listening to a lecture about the importance of this last level of Auror training.

Sighing, Harry wondered if he should remind Auror Jenkly that he was the only Auror in this level of training, as the esteemed former Auror, who had come out of his retirement as a personal favor for Minister Shacklebolt, went on and on about how "all of" them should be aware of the importance of vigilance and knowing when to let your guard down, which, according to him, was never.

Very Moody like training, Harry thought.

Watching him pacing and giving him sharp looks, Harry wondered if former Auror Connor M. Jenkly was mad about having to come out of his retirement.

Well, nothing to do about that, and it wasn't his fault that there were few Aurors around with enough time on their hands to give him the basics of this level of training, if anyone is to blame it had to be both the Auror department for not taking new recruits since Tonks. and frankly, the Deatheaters and Voldemort, they were responsible for murdering most of the trustworthy and capable Aurors.

"Potter are you listening to me?" Auror Jerkly's sharp reprimand jerked Harry out of his musings.

"ya, ofcourse I am Sir" was Harry's quick reply

"You think you're an all powerful wizard, is that it then Potter? Think yourself above hearing my lecture?" Auror Jerkly asked "think you can skip the three year program that all Aurors go through, and now you think you can just skip this level of training? Learning about Criminal Scene investigation not important enough for you?"

with the same breath, Harry watched Auror Jerkly continue with his lecture "let me give you a wakeup call then sonny, knowing which tracking spells or detecting spells to use and rely on in different situations will help you to track and capture the criminals. face to face confrontations aren't always as reliable as ambushing a suspect after tracking him down, got that?"

Watching the old Auror breath heavily after finishing his lecture, with a 'Weasley' red face, Harry answered slowly "you think I'm arrogant, that I got to this level of training because of my name." He said it as a statement, not a question or remark.

"in a word Potter 'yes'. You think because you defeated You-Know-Who it made you a know-it-all wizard? Well you're still a ninteen year old kid who doesn't have the experience to be an Auror"

Without a word Harry stood up and turned, intending to leave the Practice room, but only after taking a couple of steps toward the door, Auror Jerkly called "where do you think you're going Potter, we're not done here!"

"Actually, I think we are. with all due respect Auror Jerkly you don't want to train me and I don't like the idea of fighting you every step of the way." Harry replied simply "I wasn't the one here who probably read gossip columns and decided he knew everything about me, including why I reached this level of Auror training, so unless you change your mind and decide to ask instead of presume, I think it's better if we leave now and cool off. We'll continue this discussion next time we have training scheduled, when both of us are calmer "

With a slight bow of his head as goodbye, he turned and continued his way out of the door, leaving the aged Auror standing behind, gaping at his retreating back.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sitting in an old office, located away from the center of the Auror Headquarters, Harry was concentrating on filling some forms he was given when starting his new training, and trying to ignore the anger simmering inside of him.

Breathing slowly, he calmly tried to do some Occlumency techniques to repress his anger about what happened an hour ago.

Breathing in again, he imagined himself sitting in his leather chair in the living room at Grimmauld place, home, peace, and quiet. Letting out his breath slowly, he felt himself starting to calm down.

Opening his eyes, he looked down and with a sigh continued filling the paper work he's been given. He still remembered when he started practicing Occlumency again, it had been a month after the end of war, he had been sitting in a muggle café shop, feeling lost, thinking what he wanted to do next. Mostly thinking about how he'll be able to function on a daily basis when he couldn't manage to close his eyes unless it was to see dead bodies surrounding him, the nightmares were getting worse. Remus, Tonks, Fred, Moody even Albus and his parents featured in his dreams. All blaming him for dying.

He had started to feel isolated from everyone, even Ron and Hermione. He couldn't even articulate why he felt so guilty. He thought he was over his guilt, maybe not over all the ones that died, but at least, he thought he had dealt with the death of his parents. But by the end of the war every guilty feeling he had learnt to deal with had resurfaced.

Frowning, he remembered how of all the people he expected to come talk to him, to tell him to stop distancing himself from everybody, even if it was unintentionally done, it was the last person he expected that appeared. Horace Slughorn. Or should he still call him Professor Slughorn after all he's was still teaching potions at Hogwarts.

He had walked into the muggle café shop, looking as UnMuggle like as he could get with a long red skirt, a blue shirt and a pink tie with shiny pictures of yellow flowers. Harry had blinked, then blinked again, hoping he'd gone crazy, preferring insanity to the picture his professor presented just then. The head of Slytherin house indeed!

Slughorn had walked briskly to his table, looking excitedly around, and then cutting right straight to why he was here, he told Harry that he'll be expecting him in Hogwarts every evening starting tomorrow for Occlumency lessons, then waved his hand to stop Harry from answering and telling him he expected to see him. After that he ate a strawberry cake, exclaimed loudly how smart muggles were with their strawberry cakes and left.

Harry didn't miss a lesson, and by the end of the month, he was good enough at occlumency, to repel even Voldemort "if he was alive that is my boy" Slughorn had exclaimed grinning proudly at him.

Harry had joined Auror training the following month.

"So I heard you had a slight altercation with Auror Jerkly today?"

Looking up, Harry saw Kingsley's head poking from behind the office door. Frowning, as he remembered what he was so cross about, he answered "you could have told me he was one of those who thought I'm a spoilt boy who got what he wanted because of his fame!"

"Spoiled? Is that what he said?" Kingsley asked, chucking deeply.

Then added when he noticed Harry's glare "I knew he was a tough Auror, but I didn't expect him to be that tough on you, after all most of the Wizarding world think you did prove yourself with the last war"

"not Auror Jerkly, he thinks and I quote that I'm a 'ninteen year old kid' who doesn't have enough experience!" snorting Harry looked at Kingsley who was now lounging in a chair in front of the desk he was sitting behind "I guess, all the experience I got since I was eleven doesn't count does it? And I'm not being arrogant here, how many Aurors here got to train in the real world as I got to do at my age?" he declared angrily

"No one. That's true Harry" Kingsley answered calmly, with his deep baritone "the reason I choose Auror Jenkly was because he'll be tough on you, and question you, even challenge you. Something that you have to admit some of your trainers didn't do because they were too much in awe of you"

"Are you saying I didn't get to this level on my own, because … " Harry started to say between clenched teeth

"No that's not what I meant; I told you before what you achieve here will be with your own abilities. After all if I thought anyone was giving you slack, I'd make sure you didn't continue to the next level" looking at Harry, brow raised in question, waiting for Harry to acknowledge what he just said, when Harry nodded back, Kingsley continued "Jenkly is here because I know he'll give you a hard time"

"A hard time?"

"yes, he will teach you what you need to know and make sure you were taught everything you needed to learn in the previous levels in Auror training" giving Harry a sharp look "when he gives you the pass that you've finished this level, everyone will know you deserved it, even the ones that doubted you till now. Jenkly is well known, he's tough but fair. when he says your ready to become an Auror no one will question him. That Harry will help you in the future, especially when you try to fit in with the rest of the senior Aurors here"

Harry nodded slowly.

With a slight smile, he opened his mouth intending to give a rueful remark about the inner politics of the ministry when a sharp blade of pain sliced through his stomach. Gasping, disoriented from the sudden pain, Harry was startled into bending over and holding his middle.

He heard Kingsley's chair scraping the floor and hitting the floor, as the other man jumped from his chair and appeared in front of him.

Harry heard Kingsley firing questions at him trying to understand what was going on, but all he could think about, while he sat there holding his stomach, trying to regulate his breathing, which was coming out in breathless bursts was, how the Hell did a Deatheater manage to infiltrate the ministry and get to him in the Auror Headquarters.

His blood was on fire. His skin felt like it was being pierced by a thousand knifes.

It felt worse than when he was cursed with the Cruciatus curse.

Let it end. Just let it end.

Harry screamed, and fell sideways from his chair; he did not notice the yelling or the Aurors that were now filling the room. He did not see Neville and Ron standing over him with Kingsley shouting and trying to reach him from behind a golden sphere that had burst out of nowhere to surround him.

All he heard was his own screams. All he felt was the pain.

The last thing he recalled as he felt the darkness stealing over him, was a voice asking

"Where did he come from?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Author Note: **sorry for the long wait, I bought a new laptop as my last one gave up on me...my new laptop is great, the only problem is that I don't have Word installed on it!

Anyway, this is a pretty long chapter, I worked on it for some time and rewrote it too many times! the last part was HARD to write! hope it turned out alright.

Also, I hope this chapter cleared some bits about Harry.


	6. Repercussions

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter Five**

"Repercussions"

"Is that dad?" Fran asked for the second time, exasperated when no one answered her question again.

Looking at Joshua, she poked his arm trying to get his attention "well? Isn't dad downstairs?"

"ya he is" was all Joshua said, not looking away from the man, who was now having an intense conversation with a man who looked a lot like Kingsley.

"And isn't that Kingsley?" Ginny was the one to ask now, quietly.

"Yes" answered George briefly "that's him"

"So what exactly are we looking at?" Fran asked annoyed when neither she nor Ginny could get the boys to answer their questions with more than a yes-no answer.

With a smile Fred finally seemed to snap out of his trance to answer "we don't know exactly. as we explained we saw our family, but it was different..."

"This guy is supposed to be your family Fran!" George continued looking at Fran

Fran frowned at the twins, looking back at Joshua who was still watching her 'dad' she asked "We did all this to see dad?" then added thoughtfully when Joshua didn't answer her immediately "a younger dad? Is it in the past then?"

Before anyone could answer her she continued looking closely at the figures in the mirror "but that doesn't make sense, Kingsley is the same age but dad isn't!"

"He's not dad Fran" Joshua burst out suddenly, his concentration not shifting from the mirror and their 'dad' "he's Harry!"

"Harry?" looking at the man in the mirror again, she asked "Harry who?

"Harry Harry!" Joshua said with a pointed stare at his sister, finally looking directly at her while talking to her.

Blinking, it took Fran a couple of seconds before she asked carefully "Harry? as in our brother Harry? Our brother that is dead and no one speaks about him Harry?" she finished in high pitched voice.

"ya Fran that Harry" Joshua answered

"Maybe we can find a way to speak to him and ask him questions you know?" he added glancing excitedly at Fran when she didn't answer him.

"This could be so great!" Joshua grinned "And people say I look like dad! look at him he looks more like dad than I do! He even has the Potter's messy hair! Neither of has the Potter's hair" he finished with a wave of his hand at his hair.

George and Fred who were mostly silent listening to the potter siblings, decided to intervene now before Fran snapped out of her shock.

"How exactly are you planning to speak to him mate? It's not like they can hear us!" George said trying to bring things back into prospective.

With a frown Joshua looked away from Fran to George then back to the mirror.

He hadn't really thought about the "How's", he had just thought of the opportunity he's been given to actually meet Harry, the brother his parents still grieved for.

The brother who was never mentioned!

It was like a taboo was placed over his name by his parents and uncles. Never to be mentioned around his family.

The first time he had even heard of him was when he was ten years old, he had been in his room looking over the new prank items his Godfather Sirius had brought him last evening, when Fran had came in with a picture clutched in her hands and asked him quietly who the boy in the picture was. He had scoffed at the time at his "dumb" little sister and told her that that was their dad when he was a baby!

Fran had looked at the picture again before telling Joshua bluntly that he was lying, that their dad didn't have eyes like her mum.

Even then Fran had that mature tone of voice that always made him feel like the younger one, Joshua thought, but she sure was perceptive.

He had looked at the picture looking at the baby boy who was sitting on a rug playing with a toy, looking closely Joshua noticed for the first time since seeing the photo that the toy was actually a wooden stag. Turning the photo over Joshua read the writing on the back, it said

'Harry James Potter – 31 July 1981 - one year old"

Joshua remembered how shocked he felt looking at that sentence. He had a brother. After all who else could it be! Born before him! The name said it all! but did he still have one? A brother? If not then what happened to him? And why didn't his parents tell them about him?

He had waited till later that same day, when they were spending some time at Sirius's home, to ask the questions running through his mind, after all he knew that if anyone would tell him anything it was one of his Uncles, not his parents.

he had confronted Sirius and Remus almost immediately after they got to his Uncles home , then followed them around until his uncle Remus sat him and Fran down and told them that yes they did have a brother and that Harry was killed when he was a little over one year old, because of the war.

When Fran asked why would Harry be killed when he was just a baby? Remus had paused for some time, then said slowly that that was war, No one was exempt.

He didn't explain any further, even when they persisted with their questions. He then thought to explain that the reason their parents never told them about Harry was because they found it too hard to talk about the subject. and that they should respect their parents pain enough, not to plague them with questions.

Adding when they demanded more answers from him, that when they were old enough their parents would explain everything.

Well, they were "old enough" now, Joshua thought grimly, but still no explanations were forthcoming. So it was a good thing Joshua didn't usually listen to what adults say.

Joshua decided a week after his conversation with Remus to confront his parents. Fran had tried to stop him, but ofcourse Joshua being Joshua, he didn't listen to her.

He only wanted to know why he didn't have a brother! Why he died ! he wasn't getting an explanation, he was getting the "hush ups" as he and Fran called them. They got them when ever the war was mentioned at home, by accident usually, some of the adults, usually his mum, would shush whoever slipped and mentioned something his parents didn't want them to know.

The idea of confronting his parents turned out to be one of his worst ideas ever. As his parents weren't expecting the question, and Joshua had thrown the question in a form of an accusation.

They had been having a quiet evening, for once all of them together at home, his dad reading some reports he took home with him from work, his mum reading some correspondence.

Joshua remembered how he had been having a staring war with Fran, who had still been trying to stop him and make him listen to Remus's warning. It hadn't shaken his resolve though and after another glare from his too mature sister, he had blurted his question about Harry's death.

both of them had frozen up for a couple of seconds before his dad, looking furious, jumped up like he had been stung and stormed out of the room. Not even asking who told them about Harry.

Looking at his mum while listening to his dad's footsteps retreating toward his office, Joshua started to regret his question, but still determined to know the truth he had waited till he heard the office door slamming shut, probably his dad going to talk or scream at one of his uncles, then looked at his mum expectantly.

His mum still looking stricken and trying to recover was arranging the correspondence she had been reading into stacks then rearranging them, while he and Fran glared at one another, one stubbornly and the other accusingly.

His mother's question about what they knew of Harry's death snapped them out of their glaring war to look up at their mum.

Fran was the one who answered, repeating what Remus told them.

Joshua deciding to intervene had looked at his mum's bowed head and said "we'd really like to know about him mum" while at the same time Fran had said just as quietly "we don't really need to know mummy".

Joshua still remembered how his mum had nodded slowly then told them quietly that they should have told them about Harry before but they were far too young. Still were, she had added with a sad smile.

Then she explained that Harry died during the war, killed like Remus said. Muttering agitatedly under her breath to herself Joshua thought at the time, that they were still too young, then added for their benefit that she'll explain further when they were older.

When Joshua, unsatisfied, had dared to ask her how he died and "how had they, the Deatheaters, got to him?"

His mum got a faraway look, and when Fran had naively touched her hand and asked her if she was alright, she startled, like she was waking from a bad dream, and told them it was time for them to go to bed.

Joshua didn't give up, even though after that night Fran had tried to stop him from asking more questions, He didn't. He couldn't stop himself even when he knew it hurt his parents whenever he mentioned Harry.

He became obsessed with him.

He wanted, even needed, to know why he didn't have a brother. A brother he had always wished he had. a brother he'd be close to like Fred and George were close to each other.

While other children made fantasies about having imaginary friends Joshua had fantasies about having his brother back, fantasies about how his brother was lost and would be coming back soon, how he'd become his best friend, and teach him everything he knew.

He still remembered when he started imagining Harry to be in his room with him, how he made him be so strong, his protector from Death eaters and Lucius Malfoy.

Lucius Malfoy who he was so scared of, ever since he met him accidentally for the first time when he was 6 years old.

Most importantly Harry was there when he was lonely. And he was lonely often.

His parents would be called urgently either for meeting or to fight, especially his dad who was called to help the Order and the Ministry.

He didn't blame his parents, he understood that they had things they had to do, they had to fight, but sometimes after leaving them with Tobby, their house-elf, Joshua would have nightmares that his parents wouldn't come back home and he'd be forgotten.

Absurd, but he remembered how scared he used to get at times, how he'd hide in the shadow's by the window waiting for his parents to apparate or portkey back.

But since he started talking to Harry he was never alone or forgotten.

Harry was with him whenever he was scared or lonely, sometimes he used to lie back on his bed and speak to Harry, telling him about his day, or crying when he was lonely or afraid.

Sure he had his Godfather Sirius and Uncle Remus, and they were great, but they were always away, they didn't come and visit them that often. Especially Uncle Remus who was Fran's godfather, they didn't see much of him, except at occasions like birthdays. Sirius was better, he came over more than Uncle Remus.

He was always telling him about the pranks they pulled when they were at school, and giving him advice. Weird advice, but they still counted as advice. Too bad Sirius was always busy at the ministry with his dad, and didn't have much time to stop by their house more, but once a month was better than a couple of times a year like Uncle Remus.

Trying to bring down You-Know-Who seemed to be everything to both Sirius and Uncle Remus. Like his dad who was always busy, 'obsessed' with work he once heard his mother say, and if not at the Ministry working, then in his office at home or doing something for the Order.

He sometimes wondered why his dad even bothered to have children if he didn't want to spend time with them. Fran always said that wasn't fair, but Joshua didn't want to be fair. He understood the importance of bringing You-Know-Who down, but still he couldn't help resenting his dad.

He wasn't bitter anymore, he used to get angry at his dad whenever he had a 'job' but after he started spending time in his room with Harry to make plans of adventures and pranks he would execute at Hogwarts, Joshua just started to ignore him and his 'jobs'.

His mum was a different story, she had quit work after he was born, or so he's been told by Uncle Remus anyway, so she was almost always at home with them. she tried to make up for his dad not being there most of the time but it didn't help when the excuses she made for dad missing another important occasion or not keeping his promise never changed.

It was always 'urgent work' or an 'important call'. He learned not to expect much from his dad, that way he wouldn't be disappointed. And anyway for a while he had Harry.

It was embarrassing thinking about it now, how he had idealized Harry and he was definitely over needing a friend when at home, imaginary or otherwise but that didn't stop the longing to know if his image of him was true or not, it also didn't stop his longing for having a brother to be close to as he always imagined, even if it was an absurd thought.

He had stopped imagining he had Harry for a brother and friend the summer before his third year, After he started spending his summers either at Headquarters or at the Weasley's. He had been so busy helping at headquarters that he hadn't noticed that he hadn't talked to Harry all summer long till he was sitting at the feast in Hogwarts, and he couldn't think of any prank for the following week.

Well, now was his chance to know Harry, his real brother and not what he imagined he would be like, and he wasn't missing it, noth...

"Joshua!"

Joshua line of thinking was cut off by his sister, who was standing in front of him glaring, hands on her hips in a gesture scarily similar to his mum.

Blinking, he looked at the twins and Ginny who were also looking at him, then glancing quickly at the mirror making sure that Harry was still there.

He was. Good.

"What?" he asked after making sure Harry was still talking to Auror Shacklebolt.

Before Fran could ask him again what she asked before, she was distracted by Ginny who was kneeling by the tall mirror examining something.

"What's that?" Fran asked looking at the inscription Ginny was fingering on the bottom of the mirror.

Kneeling beside her, Fran examined the inscription, and said "It looks like Latin! Do you know what it means Ginny?"

"No I ..." Before Ginny could continue Joshua pushed Fran aside and knelt beside Ginny, with the twins right behind him looking over his shoulder.

"It's in Latin! Uncle Remus taught us Latin Fran!".

"What does it say then if you're so smart?" was Fran's comeback, angry at being pushed aside.

"can you translate mate" was all Fred said, studying the inscription along with his twin.

"Just a minute" Joshua said reading it again. Then added slowly "It says 'Spekio', no its '' 'Speculum' ... 'Speculum Facultatum' that's it!"

Turning to the twins Ginny asked them a question that was on Joshua mind too "did you guys notice this before?"

"Actually …" Fred had started to answer but was interrupted by Fran who had squeezed in beside Joshua to look at the writing again before she snapped "You got blood all over it with your finger Joshua! Clean it so we can read it too. why cant you be careful! … "

Joshua feeling his face beginning to redden with mounting anger and frustration as Fran continued with her tirade, felt himself simmering with anger, clenching his fists he finally let the mounting frustration that's been growing inside him since his argument with his dad out.

"Could you just stop screeching in my ear for a second? You are so annoying, why can't you leave it alone? You weren't invited here. I don't want you here. You stick your nose in stuff that isn't any of your business and keep giving orders. I'm not your puppet, I'm sixteen years old and I'll do whatever I want".

"Guys..."

shrugging Fred's attempt to calm him by placing his hand on his shoulder from behind him, he ran his bloody finger over the inscription again and again while glaring at a red faced Fran, taunting her "here are you satisfied. If you don't like it you can leave. I sure don't want or need you here. Merlin! I bet if Harry was here instead of you, he'd Oww…"

Joshua tirade was cut off when he felt his bloody finger start stinging where it was placed on the inscription.

It felt like needles were piercing his finger again and again.

"Ouch ! Bloody hell ! I can't take my finger off! Its stuck" Joshua's exclaimed, panicking, trying to tug his finger off the inscription.

"help..."

Before the twins could reach for his finger a bright light shone out of the mirror, blinding them for the second time that night.

"My eyes …"

"Joshua …!"

Joshua felt one of the Twins grab for his shoulder to stop himself from falling backward, like the others who could be heard falling with shouts of pain, as they bumped into each other.

Before he could ask for help again, his finger was released with a last sting that felt like fire coursing through his finger into his hand and then continuing to his chest.

Falling backward gasping, he felt the twin that had managed to hold on to him fall back along with him. not even trying to stop said twin from falling on him, his hands went immediately to his chest, gasping, trying to stop the pain.

The fire was filling his chest.

He couldn't breath!

Before he could gather enough breath to croak for help, the pain in his chest faded leaving him feeling winded with a slight ache.

It was then he heard the creaking sound coming from in-front of him, raising his head slightly from the ground gasping and trying to kicked at the leg that was over his own legs, he looked up, but before he realized what was happening he heard Ginny shout "Watch out!" and Fran screaming his name.

Then everything went to hell.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Frowning, Remus surveyed the order members as they debated how to persuade the northern werewolf clan to join them in the fight against the dark lord. It seemed useless to try persuading them again that they were fighting a losing battle as that specific clan had always been more dark than light.

Remus saw that some other members, other than him and Moody, had started noticing that Albus was sitting at the head of the long table with his eyes closed, his head chin on his laced fingers. he knew that this did not mean that he was not listening attentively to the other members arguments, but that he was starting to get tired of it.

Albus didn't have the patience that he used to, at one time while he and his friends were at Hogwarts, he knew, that Albus was well known for his patience and Remus had evidence of it each time the Marauders did one of their 'take it too far' pranks. He had sat them down and told them who they had hurt and why their prank had crossed the line before handing them over to Professor Mcgonagall for their punishment.

One prank that he would never forget was the one in their fifth year. How could he forget the prank that Sirius did with the help of Pettigew, the one that almost caused him to kill another Wizard or worse turn him into a Werewolf!

Glancing at Sirius, who was arguing with anyone who would look his way, he remembered how their friendship was almost over that year. How could you forgive someone that used you when you were at your weakest point and almost made you into a killer?

You don't.

But Remus did, he gave him another chance after months of Sirius asking for it. He never regretted his decision, Sirius was impulsive but he was loyal, the most loyal person a man can have for a friend.

Looking at James who was getting a word in every now and then, but not making much of an effort to argue his point, Remus recalled how James had looked at the beginning of the meeting. He had looked almost ill when Molly Had mentioned his son, Harry.

Why was everyone remembering Harry lately! He had been gone for almost seventeen years.

People say you forget with time, but Remus knew better. You get used to the pain that came whenever you thought of a lost loved one, you do not forget, you bury the memory so you'd be able to live each day with out falling apart.

James, Lily and Sirius had all fallen apart after that night. Each one of them using a different vice to help with their anger, frustration and pain.

Lily had became obsessed with her other children, she showed them love and understanding as if Joshua and Fran were going to die any minute. She still told them off when they did anything wrong but not to the extent that Remus remembered her doing before Harry. She lost the spark that always shone from her eyes whenever she started talking about something she believed in.

James on the other hand had become hard. Hard was the best way to describe him, after that night he had needed something to help him, help him against the desperation, the failure he had called himself so many times for not being able to save his baby son. Any trace of the boy he knew in Hogwarts was gone.

Remus, at the time, had thought that telling James that he had to be strong for his family and to think how he was going to get revenge for his son was a good idea in helping James get over his grief. To Help him snap out of the depression he had fallen into. Now he knew better.

James became obsessed with his work, with trying to bring You-Know-Who down. It had become a mission for him. Even having more children didn't help mellow him down a little.

And Sirius, Sirius who was the first one on scene after the attack on his Godson. he had followed in James footsteps. He had become, along with James, one of the most high ranking Aurors in the ministry. Minister Crouch relied on them on most decisions concerning attacks and strategies.

Now, it seemed that after the last attack against a muggle residential area, which James and Sirius along with their teams had tried to help stop, James has decided to take time off. To take the position Albus had offered him and teach defense to the Upper years while Remus continued to teach the rest.

It was a good idea, in more ways than one. Maybe it'll help James become more close to Joshua and Fran!

Remus blinked and focused on Moody who had flinched before he jumped up from his chair with a sudden yell and a screech of his chair scraping the floor.

"Alastor?" Albus asked, eyes opening with a sharp look, as if waiting for bad news. There were always bad news lately, Remus thought with a sigh.

"My eye making trouble for me Albus. Felt like someone directed a Lumos spell into it" he barked irritated, then with a roll of his artificial eye he added with a frown "it's better now. I'll clean it after the meeting. Now on to business are we going to send ambassadors to this clan or not?"

Raising a hand to stop the argument from recommencing Albus said clearly "i believe that we will meet failure if we try to convince them to join our side in the war, but if everyone agrees with me, I believe that we shouldn't give up the hope of more allies before we ask them. So ask them we shall, but we have to be prepared for rejection and an attack on any ambassador we might send. With that in mind, I shall now ask for volunteers?"

Remus looked at the wary faces around the table looking at each other after Albus concluded his speech. With the resolve that helped him out of many dangerous situations, Remus looked at Albus and said "I'm willing to do it"

"What! Remus ..."

Before Sirius could finish his exclamation, Remus Continued looking at Sirius "I'm a werewolf, it'll be better if I deal with them. They'll listen to me more than anyone else because they know that i understand their position"

"What position is that Remus? Your nothing like them!" was Lily's comeback

"maybe not exactly like them, but I understand how hard it is to live with Wizards who scorn you because of what you become once a month, and I know the hardships that come with being a werewolf"

before anyone else could irrupt him Albus said "I do believe that is wise, but I don't want you to go to the leaders immediately. Check around, see what their community think about joining our side, and take precautions accordingly"

Remus nodded, then looking at his watch, got up and said "well, if that's all, I'll be going I have a couple of things to do before I want to head out" with a last nod at the other members, he turned and was gone.

"That wasn't a wise move. What if something happens to him? They're a hostile clan. You can't send him there Albus!" Sirius exploded the minute he heard the slam of the front door, signaling Remus departure.

"It was his decision Sirius. And I do believe you should have more faith in your friend, he's capable of doing this mission better than any other member here because as he said he does understand them more than anyone of us"

with a last look at Sirius then at James who was sitting with a frown glaring at the table top, Albus continued "now. If that's all for the evening, we can retire for the night. I'll keep you updated when we'll have our next meeting"

The Order members stirred, and groups started heading to either the fireplace for floo or the front door meaning to apparate away. The only member who seemed fixated to his chair, staring at the floor with a frown was Moody.

Saying goodbyes, and see you later, Molly could be heard over the ruckus asking if anyone saw her children, while heading for the stairs with Lily.

"Hell and Damnation ..." that exclamation drew the eyes of James who was conversing in quiet tones with Sirius and Arthur, the only members left in the room.

before James could comment on his shout, Moody started limping fast toward the sitting room door, and with a shout and an angry glare called "Potter, Weasley, your children seem to have put the basement on fire! Those idiots!"

with that Moody disappeared, Followed by a black haired Tonks, who had been hovering beside the sitting room door, and jumped into action with a hand gesture from a furious Moody.

It took some time for James along with Sirius and Arthur to comprehend what exactly Moody said. But when they did James with curse started running with both Sirius and Arthur following behind him.

Bursting into the basement, James was met with disaster.

Moody and Tonks had managed to put the fire out, if there was one to begin with as there didn't seem to be any scorch marks, But what was there was worse than any fire could cause.

On the floor there were several groaning body parts peaking from under the closet that used to be glued to the wall with gluing spells. And if that wasn't enough the parts of the bodies that they saw seemed to be bloodied with cuts all over the arms and legs, from glass!

For a minute all James could think about was where the hell did the glass come from!

Snapping out of his daze, he started walking carefully forward afraid of stepping on the children.

Moody and Tonks were using a spell from opposite sides of the heavy closet trying to lift the closet off the children. when they succeeded, James along with Arthur who was standing by that time beside him, went forward only to be stopped by Sirius shout from behind them "watch out for the glass James, Arthur. Move them slowly."

Taking a deep breath James saw Joshua in the middle, on top of the pile of redheads. he wasn't groaning or making sounds.

Swallowing, James took a breath and tried to slow down the fast beating of his heart. It wasn't the time to think about Harry. Joshua was okay, and the blood was from minor injuries not like Harry. Only minor injuries.

Turning around he called to Kingsley who had just arrived to the basement door, after hearing them running.

"Kingsley call Albus at his office in Hogwarts, tell him to send Madam Pomfrey. Hurry"

Seeing Kingsley nod before turning and running back upstairs, James turned back to Joshua, his heart beating hoping that Fran hadn't decided to get involved into whatever Joshua had done here. And he was sure it was Joshua's doing.

Using the Wingardium Leviosa spell, he levitated Joshua off the others carefully, while watching Arthur and Moody do the same to the twins, then leaving the room with them.

Sirius jumped forward then and got Fran who James saw with a grimace did get herself involved, but at least wasn't as hurt as Joshua. She had her eyes open but she seemed to be dazed.

Tonks was helping Ginny to stand up as she seemed the least injured, she walked dizzily with Tonks help out of the room, where Arthur, who had come back, took her. James heard Ginny ask her dad after Fran and the boys, before her voice faded away.

Moody appearing in the doorway with Tonks looked at James holding Joshua and Sirius standing with Fran in his arms, asked James with a frown the question that was on everyone's mind "what the hell happened here? Is your boy awake Potter?"

"I have no idea what happened, Joshua seems to be unconscious but other than that I think he's fine" James answered grimly.

Staring at Fran who Sirius was still holding, he got the answer to his unasked question "she's alright James; just unconscious too, Joshua looks worse than her. I'll take her to Poppy she's probably here already"

Following the others, Sirius carried Fran Carefully while looking back at a pale James who had started after him slowly, trying to balance Joshua in his arms after putting a lightening spell on him.

James intending to follow the others upstairs, stopped just beside the door where Moody was standing looking at Tonks his wand still out. Tonks was kneeling beside another person, a boy, examining him.

Frowning James asked her a question that seemed to be on Moody's mind too, as the former Auror started approaching Tonks carefully with his wand out and ready.

"Where did he come from?"

Before anyone could answer his question the boy who they thought was unconscious groaned, making all three of them point their wands at him warily. But he seemed to pass out immediately afterwards so they relaxed marginally.

"That's a good question Potter" Moody answered slowly, keeping his wand pointed at the stranger, then with a grim look "the Headquarters doesn't seem to be safe if a stranger managed to enter it!"

Looking at both James and Moody, Tonks shrugged before simply saying "I don't recognize him, he has too much blood over him, I think we should call Poppy then ask him these questions"

with that answer Moody stomped forward faster "what did I teach you girl, Constant vigilance! He might be a deatheater and you there kneeling beside him with your wand stowed away"

Moody was now frowning fiercely at Tonks who was muttering that there was no need for a wand as the stranger seemed to be unconscious.

Ignoring her murmurings, Moody turned to James, waiting till the later finished adjusting his hold on Joshua, before saying "it doesn't make sense! The house is protected; he couldn't have just come in and attacked them without us noticing!"

Neither James nor Tonks seemed to have a ready answer to his question. Eyeing each other and the man, a moment passed in silence, till Tonks broke the silence and asked both James and Moody the question that seemed to have been left unasked till now

"Well if its so protected then where did he come from?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"**'Speculum Facultatum**" – 'Mirror of possibilities' translated to Latin, thank you **'LiVinG iN a RaiNBoWwoNdErLaNd'** for the translation

**Author Note:** it took me a long time to decide to post this chapter, as I've been a bit unsure of myself and my story. But enough is enough, the chapter have been written since December but I have rewrote it so many times that its not the same as the first draft I wrote. Hopefully it improved.

I hope you like this chapter and hopefully I'll post the next chapter sooner.

Other than that I would like to say to all you reviewers, I appreciate the reviews I got, they really helped motivate me to update …

And like always - Hope you enjoy :)


	7. The Guy

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter Six**

"The Guy"

"James?"

James listened to Lily walk slowly into the sitting room where he stood with his back to the room, looking out into the street. It was full of Muggles going about their day, some laughing, some scowling and others just passive. It didn't matter. James who had known so many up and downs in his own life, so many surprises, he couldn't bring himself to care what each new day brought with it, didn't care if he might laugh, scowl, cry or just pass the day regularly. He just cared about passing the day without having to go through hell, the kind of hell he had to go through eighteen years ago. The kind of hell he had worked hard each day to prevent from happening again to his family.

Was that the truth? Lily had told him that the most important thing is to love your children, and once James would have agreed, but not anymore, now he knew what was the main thing he could do for them was. He'll be the one to make sure they live, and live happily without the worries of the war.

Lily believed he did what he did each day because of Harry, as a way to take revenge because he's so helpless to kill his son's killer. And maybe it had some truth in it. he stopped caring for the why's, he just knew that this is the way he choose to live for so long that he forgot what it was like before. How he was before he changed. Where was that boy who graduated into the world thinking he'll be able to fight the fight without paying for it?

None of that seemed to matter, the universe or the cosmos, or whatever was out there, always seemed to want to have the last laugh at his expense.

He didn't consider himself to be egotistical or self centered. Well! Not anymore, not since his school days. But he was sure that someone or something out there had it in for him.

Mouth compressed he tensed when he felt Lily standing behind him when he didn't react to her greeting.

"They're alright James" Lily said quietly, patiently

"I know that" James snapped.

Realizing his tone had offended his wife he grimaced, turning to face her with a last look at the man he had been watching absently cross the street, going his way, hurriedly, his head turned down, knowing where he was going, James thought heavily. No surprises. Probably didn't appreciate how lucky he was.

"Sorry" he sighed looking at Lily's worried face "I'm just thinking"

Tilting her head back, so she could look James in the eye, she inquired with the same quiet tone he had used "about?"

"You know" was the equally quiet reply, knowing he didn't need to say anymore. Lily knew when he got that look in his eyes he would be thinking of only one thing.

"ahh, Harry" was the pained statement. Clearing her throat which seemed to have become dry she asked "why?"

Which meant, James continued the question she didn't complete- What happened to make you think of him now?

There didn't always have to be a preceding event, but somehow Lily knew that this time something happened to put that pained light in his eyes. And if anyone knew him or understood him without him having to say anything, it would be his wife.

Letting out a deep breath James explained "you didn't see them down there! They were lying there lifeless." then looking away from her and back out of the window, he added "there was so much blood, especially on Joshua, for a minute … I just... "

A silence echoed around the room, while Lily dealt with what he said and what he didn't have to say.

What could she say in answer to that? In some ways it had been easier for her what happened eighteen years ago. Not the loss of her son, her Harry, no, but the fact that she hadn't seen him die, hadn't watched what happened.

Not like James.

She had been hysterical after finding out her son was dead, unable to cope. But cope she did, not only because she had to, but because James needed her to.

The guilt, the nightmares, the self recriminations. Dear God, it was a time in her life she didn't want to remember, never mind having to go through it again.

Having to watch her husband fall apart, having to be strong for him and then whenever she had a quiet moment to deal with the loss of her baby. With knowing that life as they both knew it has changed. That they have changed.

No mother should bury her son. No father should watch, helpless, his son being killed.

James had always been so strong, always there when she needed him. When her parents died he was there, when Petunia turned her back on her after saying some of the most hurtful things a sibling could say, James was there. And although the loss was theirs both, she managed to cope because as time went by she started to understand, to come to terms with not holding her baby or seeing him again. She didn't get over it or stopped grieving for him; she just came to term with the fact that she had to go on living.

James on the other hand just didn't cope. Plain and simple. He started going through the process of grief like everyone else does, but after snapping out of his horror, shock and numbness he found refuge in anger.

As time went by he dealt with the fact that nothing he could've done would have helped save Harry, but he still blamed himself for not being strong or able enough to save him.

Lily learned as the years went by that nothing she could say would help him get over his grief, and his grief centered on hitting back, on never feeling helpless or powerless again. He relied on his anger and managed to get to a place where he was respected in the Ministry, where he was strong enough and knowledgeable enough to protect his family. Even though that same family felt neglected and sometimes forgotten by him, but telling him so hadn't helped, he had a goal, a goal he would achieve.

For James, Lily reflected, knowing that his family is safe was more important that them knowing they were loved. And that kind of prioritizing was the complete opposite of the way James was raised and his ideals of family life, before Harry died.

They had been so young when they lost him. they say the young forget faster. They were wrong. They never forgot, and James will never forgive. Forgive those responsible, even indirectly. Peter, Severus and sometimes his anger was directed at Albus and even Sirius.

Their life has indeed changed since that night, when they were young and naïve enough to believe they'll be able to make a difference, to contribute.

With a sigh, Lily looked at James, knowing she couldn't help him with his demons. The nightmares still haunted him some nights, even now, almost eighteen years after, he'd wake drenched in sweat, and find refuge in his office at home, in his papers and reports of death-eater suspects and suspicious activities.

Nothing she could do to change it, she had tried enough times in the past to know she couldn't, and if anything Lily was smart enough to know when to give up a lost war.

So she simply said "Albus wants to question the kids about the man we found with them in the basement, I knew you'd want to be there for their questioning" with a wary smile she added "coming? They're waiting in the kid's room upstairs"

A stiff nod was the only answer she got, reaching over he held her hand in his then started walking toward the stairs, her hand clutched in his.

Squeezing his hand Lily walked beside him up the stairs, and knew that for those moments alone, when James showed glimpses of his more gentle side, the side he hid from the rest of the world since that night, that she still loved him as much as she ever did.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Waking up for Harry was difficult, it happened in stages.

First was the waking up to feel someone poking him in the ribs and asking him if he "felt this" or "that", he recalled murmuring in answer that he felt like hell, and demanding to be left alone.

Next came the part where he woke to a foul smelling potion being shoved in his mouth and down his throat with a brisk order for him to swallow. He swallowed then lost consciousness again.

The third time Harry woke, he woke up to a nightmare.

Head pounding and mouth dry, Harry felt himself regain consciousness, his eyes still closed, he stayed put, trying to understand why he felt like he's been run over by Hippogriffs.

Lying silently on his back with closed eyes for a couple of minutes more, trying to remember how he ended up in a bed sleeping.

His thought were erratic, the last thing he remembered was Kingsley and Neville bending over him trying to touch him, speaking and shouting at him things he didn't hear or couldn't hear.

Nose twitching, Harry sniffed, he was in a bed, a bed not his own to be more precise. The room he was in smelt musty.

"Good evening"

Startled Harry's eyes snapped open as the unfamiliar voice reached him, only to close his eyes again as the sunlight hurt his eyes.

Squinting, Harry opened his eyes slightly reaching for his wand slowly, making sure not to make sudden movements, only to find it missing from its holster, where he had it strapped.

Damn. Moody would be rolling in his grave if he saw him now at the mercy of strangers without his wand!

mentally cursing, he squinted again and looked in the direction the voice came from, before asking with a voice Ron would have called his firm commanding voice "where's my glasses?"

"Well of all the rude..! Do I look like a house elf to you!" answered the voice rudely, before Harry could reply with a rude answer of his own the voice added "you're half blind, honestly! It's on your right. On the nightstand"

Before Harry could try to reach over for his glasses, the voice added sarcastically "Do you need me to explain where on the nightstand you can find it too".

Biting his tongue to prevent himself from giving an equally rude comeback to the stranger's ungracious help, he silently and carefully reached over to the nightstand's blurry shape, the one he could see on his right and started feeling for his glasses.

Finding them, he put them on before looking around to see who the stranger talking to him was.

"Well, now are you going to tell me who you are and how you managed to get into the most Ancient and Noble House of Black?"

Incredulous Harry stared at the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black, former Head of the Black family and least popular Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Blinking, and then blinking again at the now angry and impatient Black ancestor, Harry reached the only reasonable conclusion any logical wizard in his situation would have reached.

"Kreacheeer!" he called furious with the way the house elf have decided to repay his trust and hit back at him because he didn't get what he wanted from Harry yesterday "come here this instant! I know you can hear me!"

"What in the name of Merlin are you doing boy? Have you lost …"

The rest of Phineas exclamation was cut off when Kreacher appeared suddenly in front of the bed Harry was now using as a crutch to lean against trying to steady himself.

Merlin his head! What the hell happened to him!

"Why" Harry hissed furious and trying not to raise his voice while his head threatened to explode "is _his_ portrait back here? And why is the room back to the way it used to be before we cleaned it?"

Kreacher, looking dirtier than Harry had ever remembered seeing him, looked at him with a crazed look he had just noticed, and started stuttering " tthe mudblood is talking to Kreacher, Kreacher will not answer him, his mistress not want him to help mudbloods. No no no help, no no … "

"What the hell! Kreacher what is the matter with you! Did something happen at Hogwarts?" Harry asked patiently "you know I won't tolerate such talk!"

"Have you gone mad? The house-elf belongs to the House of the Black family!" Phineas said haughtily "you do not belong to the Most Noble House o…"

"Oh would you shut up" Harry said with a raised voice loosing his patience as Kreacher ignored them both to continue his muttering of "no, no …". Wincing when his raised voice made his head thump even more painfully, he breathed in slowly before adding "Kreacher concentrate! I want you to return this room to the way it looked before. Do I make myself clear! We'll talk about this later, I need to go have a lie down" he added firmly, hoping his tone would dissuade anyone from arguing with him until he recovered.

Walking slowly to the door he halted when he heard Kreacher's new mutterings "what did you say?" he asked trying to make sure he heard correctly.

"You not Kreachers master. No not master. But still master. Two masters, but you not Black, mudblood. Oh mistress will be angry with Kreacher. Kreacher will not help another blood traitor master. A mudblood master".

Staring at Kreacher, Harry looked at Phineas "tell Headmistress Mcgonagall I'll floo her tonight at eight, that I need to talk to her about something". With a last cautious look at Kreacher he added "Kreacher go rest, that's an order"

"what! How dare you..? giving me orders! A little no body… "

ignoring Phineas's undignified spluttering and done with arranging things for him to deal with later, Harry continued to the door, watching Phineas leave his portrait frame, heading probably to give his message to Headmistress Mcgonagall.

Turning the door knob, it didn't open. He tried again, Sighing when it didn't open, feeling his head pound even harder, and himself tiring; he frowned trying to remember what happened to make him so ill and why none of his friends were around.

Turning to where Kreacher was sitting in the corner, muttering and pulling on his ears, Harry decided to try to reason with the once almost sane house-elf "Kreacher could you open the door please" he asked with a sigh, the hand not that wasn't gripping the door knob reaching to massage his forehead.

Looking up, Kreacher looked at him and smiled, Harry felt his heart jolt when he saw him smile like that; it reminded him of fifth year. Kreacher had smiled that same cold triumphant smile while he informed him that Sirius wasn't around which caused him to run to the Ministry and caused Sirius's death eventually.

"Kreacher..." he started saying carefully slowly, but Kreacher with another sudden movement jumped up and walked stealthily to the wall beneath the portrait Phineas was occupying, all the while not removing his gaze from Harry's.

Watching Kreacher like he would have watched a wounded animal who might lash at any moment at his keeper, he saw him touch the wall with a sign he didn't catch, but suddenly where was once a wall, was a tunnel opening.

Snapping his gaze from the tunnel to Kreacher he asked him slowly "Kreacher where is my wand?"

"Mudblood master needs his wand? Kreacher brings wand and mudblood master leave before they come? Yes?"

Seeing Kreacher's intent look, Harry knew better than to say no, so accommodating the disturbed house-elf Harry nodded.

With a pop that made Harry's hand jump automatically to where his wand was supposed to be, Kreacher disappeared.

With a last look at the still closed door Harry wondered if the world had gone mad. Things seemed to have digressed back to the way they were before the war ended!

Shuddering at the horrid thought Harry took a deep breath and looked around the room he was in, walking to the book case, he looked at the book names knowing better than to touch books that belonged to the Black family. Feeling his head give another vicious twinge he changed directions and walked back to the bed.

Sitting back down, and leaning down so he could rest his head in his hands while trying to massage the pain out of his head, he groaned when it didn't seem to help with the pain.

Thinking about what happened today at work made his headache worsen so he decided to stop thinking all together and just inquire if an investigation was conducted at the Ministry. after he felt a bit better he'll go and floo the office. In a minute.

So focused was he on not thinking that Kreacher's return startled him so much he gasped and waved his hand instinctively toward him. Watching it happen as if in slow motion, he saw Kreacher fly from where he had popped right in front of his face and hit the wall behind him.

Jumping up Harry ran with wide eyes to where Kreacher now lay on the ground not moving, round eyes blinking up at the ceiling.

"Merlin! Kreacher are you alright? "

"Kreacher brings Mudblood master wand. Mudblood master leave quickly before they come"

"Stop calling me that" snapped Harry feeling his already frayed nerves wear away even more.

Rubbing his forehead again, a habit he had acquired from when he used to rub his scar when it used to pain him before the end of the war, Harry stood up, after taking his wand from the ground where it lay beside Kreacher, and went to the door intending to use an unlocking spell to open the door, but before he could raise his wand, Kreacher popped in front of him, his hands spread "no Mudblood master use secret path. He said, he said, said said said..."

"Kreacher! Quiet" Harry breathed, Merlin! No more talking or his head will explode for sure.

Uttering a disturbing laugh Kreacher looked at Harry with bloodshot eyes, and without a word he raised a shaking hand pointing to the tunnel.

Looking at Kreacher's half intent half gleeful expression, he decided to check who was in his house and could "catch" him, so casting a hearing spell on himself, a spell that enables him to hear conversation within a defined perimeter, Harry waited, and it was then that he heard his voice.

It was a too familiar voice, a voice he thought he'd never hear again alive, swallowing the lump that seemed to be stuck in his throat, all Harry could concentrate on was the voice of the Former Headmaster of Hogwarts, a man he considered to be both a mentor and a family member.

He listened to Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore, former Headmaster, former mentor and most importantly former grandfather figure, talk about him.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Well…?"

"Well what?"

"Watch your tongue Joshua" snapped his Dad with a look that made Joshua swallow.

Damn! what the hell are they supposed to tell them? And who was that guy upstairs that had fallen right on top of him. Could it be Harry? Merlin what a mess!

He was sitting on the bed in the room Sirius had been occupying during his stay in Grimmauld place. Fran sat on his right with tears on her face and her head bent down, not even looking at their parents faces, and whenever his dad even looked at her with that stern look on his face, that was more appropriate when he was dealing with Death-eaters, Joshua thought meanly than when dealing with his children, she started hiccupping and crying in earnest.

She wasn't used to being in the wrong or getting in such trouble that even Dumbledore wanted to talk to them personally!

He got in trouble more than her but only the sort of trouble that Mcgonagall had mostly dealt with, and in extreme cases she called his parents over to the school. But nothing like this. Dumbledore waiting outside with Mad-eye Moody and Kingsley and who knew who else. The three of them and his parents were around him and Fran when they woke up, with only a headache to testify for the trouble they had caused, but after a potion was given to both of them by their mother, that was gone as well, and every one of them seemed ready to hear an explanation.

Thank Merlin for Fran! who only after one serious look from Dumbledore had burst out crying, making Joshua jump in fright. His mother had tried to calm her down but nothing she could do or say seemed to help, so leaving them with their parents alone was an opportunity Joshua couldn't miss! He had to explain in private, he might be called childish and immature but he knew that he owed his parents some privacy before telling them that the guy upstairs whom everyone seemed to be wary of might actually be Harry. No, not might, is Harry, he determined.

"Joshua answer the question. Now"

His Dad again.

He seemed to have spaced out for a minute there. What did he ask him? And why him and not the twins, they were more trouble than ten of him put together. It was so like his dad to put all the blame on him!

Before he could think better of it he asked them exactly that "why are you questioning me? Did you even think that it might not be my fault? Maybe it was the twins, Ginny, and even Fran! She's not an angel you know!"

Fran hearing that outburst seemed to snap out of her self pitying and shot him a furious look before turning to their dad, still holding their mum's hand, he noted sarcastically, and not looking at their dad directly in the eye, she decided to explain

"We didn't do anything dad, honestly"

Joshua looked at her with a raised eyebrow, nice! play it the innocent who didn't know what the adults were talking about, maybe his sister wasn't a goody two-shoes after all!

That thought was ruined in her next exclamation "it was the mirror we only looked at it and Joshua used some of his blood, and then translated some Latin and we didn't see anything… it was shining at us … " she had started crying again and the rest of her words were so garbled that from his mum's expression even she didn't understand a word she said.

Sighing knowing it'll be his turn soon, he decided to wait for it, there was no reason to help the inevitable.

Looking up, from the horrible sight of Fran who was now crying earnestly on his mum's shoulder, he looked at his dad, only to find him watching him. So in automatic reaction he raised an eyebrow sardonically, which caused his dad's features to tauten even more in anger.

He knew he was playing with fire, but it always seemed like he could get the worst out of his dad, with a gesture, a word, even a look! So why the hell not use it now! he was in trouble already and he didn't particularly care if his dad was angry with him or not, he just didn't want his mum to be hurt from his actions. Something he knew he was helpless to prevent now. And knew it'll all be because of him.

"You used blood on the mirror?"

Great, thanks a lot Fran! With a glare at his sister from under his lashes, where he saw she was recovering nicely, Joshua started thinking of a way to explain his stupidity; after all he was the son on an Auror, so who knew better than him that blood used in any magical ritual or on any magical object was dark magic. His dad had made sure he and Fran knew what dark magic and objects are and how to steer clear away from them.

Clearing his throat, Joshua decided to go with the truth, after all with the guy, who he will not call Harry till he met him and made sure it was him, here he had no other option.

"I did" seeing his dad's face turning red he decided to hurry with his explanation "we had a reason" with that he went on to explain everything from what he'd been told by the twins, trying as much as he could to minimize their role in this as he could after all there was no reason for all of them to be in trouble, till the end when he saw the mirror falling. Straight on top of him.

he made sure that through out his explanation not to mention that it was Harry they had been watching, he only referred to him as the Guy making sure to talk slowly so as not to slip and mention his name. and through it all his dad held his temper, didn't interrupt him or comment on anything.

After he finished explaining with tidbits thrown from Fran, did he look up from the ground where he had been staring the whole time. His dad was standing stock still in front of him, looking over his head at the window on the opposite side of the room.

His face was calm, but Joshua wasn't fooled, his dad was upset, whenever his dad got really mad he turned cold, and the only indication that he was furious was the tick in the side of his mouth, like a pulse or a muscle jumping. It was definitely pulsing now.

When was the last time his dad laughed? Or smiled for that!

After the silence continued for over a minute, Joshua decided to try explaining his reasons for wanting to see through the mirror, after all from his dad's point of view Joshua had done all these things, dangerous things, just to watch strangers that had nothing to do with them. Maybe he should tell him now about Harry. But looking at his dad's face, for some reason he couldn't bring himself to tell him that.

Everyone said his dad changed after Harry's death, what will his dad do if he tells him now that the guy they were watching was actually Harry. What will his mum do, she was sitting quietly not saying a word, but still Joshua knew his mother was disappointed, she had that look on her face, the gentle look that said 'is that what you were taught?"

Looking at Fran, he found her staring at him with an intense unwavering look, like she was trying to help him let the hard words out.

"There's still something you haven't mentioned. What is it Josh?"

And here was his mother, who knew him best. Well better than his dad anyway, she saw that even the troublesome Joshua wouldn't do all this if not for a good reason. This wasn't just another prank, and she knew it.

"What else could there be damn it?" his dad hissed, his anger so obvious in his voice you had to be deaf not to hear it. Looking at Fran who Joshua saw was trying to speak even though she was terrified of the ramifications; Joshua knew he had to be the one to tell them and consequently take the blame, after all if it wasn't for him none of this would have happened.

So "We think we know who the Guy was. No I mean we Know who he is" Joshua finished determinedly.

"Who is he then?" was all the promoting Joshua needed from his dad.

"We think its Harry" was all he said.

And to judge from his parent's reaction, it was enough.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Author note**: another chapter, each chapter is getting harder! I want to go back to reading instead of writing, but I'd feel too bad about letting go of this story, so continue I will, and I apologize in advance for the long periods between chapters

Hope you enjoy and feedback is always always and always appreciated …


	8. and then there was chaos

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter Seven**

"And then there was Chaos"

When he was young, really young, he would always tell anyone who gave him the least bit of attention, that one day he's going to be an Auror just like his daddy, whether he was asked or not. He'd play "catch the baddies" and "shoot the bad monkey", of course at the time the baddies were, out of necessity, his mum and his uncles, and the monkey was his sister's favorite furry toy. He never shot his dad, because his dad was the good guy. He was an Auror after all.

Nowadays, with only two years left before he graduated, whenever anyone asked him what he wanted to become, his answer was always ready.

Not an Auror.

After all, his dad did more than enough work as an Auror for them both and his whole squad.

While he watched his dad rant and fire questions at both him and Fran, who had revered back to sniffing and sobbing quietly, Joshua sat quietly watching his dad.

Maybe it was time to remind him that they weren't suspects under investigation. His mum didn't seem able to do it after all. Joshua looked at his mum where she was sitting stiffly, her head down, her arm having long left Fran's shoulders, where it had been since entering the room. Now they were in her lap, where they had landed after his confession. Her hands were clutching each other in a way that told Joshua in more than words how upset she was.

And his dad was now on to his usual lecture of how they always taught them not to touch anything that they suspected to be dark. Oh well, heard that, done it in the past, but it didn't suit him to do it now. Let's move on, shall we!

"James, that's enough"

Joshua snapped out of his haze and looked at his mum closely. It seemed that she decided to take charge of the situation, a fact that surprised Joshua as his mum was always the mediator and usually followed his dad's decisions. His uncle Remus did say that his mum used to be more of a take charge kind of person while at school, but Joshua for one never saw that side of her. And it seemed even his dad was a bit taken aback with the firm note in her voice.

"Lily, did you hear what he just said? He's talking about .. about .. like he" then with a shake of his head he turned to Joshua again. "Your brother is dead!" he said with an emphasis on his words, and then with an odd note to his voice he asked "We are talking about Harry? Our Harry, right?"

Deciding to take a softer tone with his dad than he had ever used before, Joshua answered, carefully measuring his words. "Yes," he said, then with a direct look he added softly. "I know that Harry's dead, but this one isn't. Dead that is. I don't know how he came here! I just wanted, you know, to watch him, or see him!"

Looking at his parents who were staring at him like he grew an extra head he leaned toward his dad and added "He's here. Isn't that the most important thing?" Then, when he received no reaction, he continued. "I thought that it would make you happy."

At that James snapped. His mind was unable to get around the idea that Joshua actually thought that.. that Harry was actually alive.

"Happy! Happy! Are you out of your mind? Do you honestly believe that a dead person can come back to life? What the Hell did you do, Joshua? Do you even realize that you used dark magic to .. to bring this person here? Using blood on objects in the Black house! Did we teach you nothing? What were .."

"James!"

And again his mum came to the rescue, Joshua though wearily, watching his dad glare at him, then at his mum for interrupting, good thing that his mum didn't seem in the mood to back down as she usually did.

Apparently his dad saw that too as he seemed to back down to simmer in silence. Joshua turned to his mum when she said quietly, "Losing your temper isn't going to help right now, James. The fact is that .. well that this person is here. Now we need to know how that happened and what they know about him. Then we'll figure out who he is."

Joshua watched his dad trying to stare a hole in the worn carpet beneath their feet. Then he was looking at his mum. They seemed to have a silent conversation because next thing he knew his dad was striding toward the door and with a quiet click and shut of the door he was gone. Typical, Joshua thought sarcastically, ya leave or stare outside a window that'll give you the answers you want. He knew he was being harsh, but hell if he cared. Fran always said he had no respect for his dad. Maybe it was true after all.

"Your dad is going to talk to Dumbledore to help us figure out what's going on here. Maybe call him over to talk to you both." Seeing the protest on Joshua's face and the alarm on Fran's, Lily continued. "There's nothing to be afraid of Fran." Then turning to Joshua she added, "You might think you know who this man is, Joshua, but we live in dark times and we have no idea what that mirror was meant to do. We need help figuring it out"

Joshua nodded slowly, reluctantly, understanding, but not liking the situation any better for understanding it. He didn't want to explain everything to the Headmaster. He could admit to himself with no shame that he was nervous of him. Of course he'll never admit that out loud, or show it as Fran seemed to have no problem doing, but still to have the Headmaster of Hogwarts focused solely on him to explain, well that wasn't something he wanted to go through.

With trepidation Joshua waited for the inevitable. Maybe this time Fran would be able to explain instead of him. Looking at her covertly he sighed when he saw her wide eyes and fearful expression. Maybe not.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

"That boy is both rude and obviously crazy Albus and I refuse to talk to him anymore!" Phineas exclaimed, furious at the way he'd been treated, him, a Black, and in his own ancestors' home no less, by a half witted, obviously deranged, CHILD!

"Now Phineas we don't know who he is yet, we need all the information we can get on how he got into the house."

Raising his hand to interrupt the furious portrait, Dumbledore added quietly with a firm note in his voice "We are already in the progress of emptying the house of all order members and of any evidence we were here, but we need to be sure the Headquarters have been compromised and until we get a proper explanation from those involved we need you to get into that room and try to find out who he is"

With that Dumbledore turned to Moody who was bristling and waiting very impatiently for him to finish talking to Phineas. When he saw Albus's attention turn to him Moody immediately launched into what Albus had no doubt was his preplanned speech. "Albus we got no time for this, we need to interrogate him NOW, the kids will be questioned about him and how he got in later." With a firm nod of his head he added. "Everyone has already left. It's just the Potters' and us left here. The Weasleys already left and Molly said her kids can be questioned by Kingsley and Black. They went with them to the Borrow to do just that, but well its obviously _that_ boys fault so we don't need him telling us the How's we just need to get the intruder to admit he's a deatheater"

With a determined look Moody raised his left hand which was clutching a vial with a colorless potion. "We need to use Veritaserum. This is no time to play nice, this is war! That intruder may be young, but you know You-Know-Who doesn't care how young they are when he's recruiting."

Finishing his tirade, both of Moody's eyes focused on Dumbledore with an intense look before adding, "The order could've been demolished tonight. We need to act fast to protect ourselves and maybe we can get some extra information about what You-Know-Who is planning next"

A deep sigh was all the reaction Dumbledore gave to the expectant old Auror. He closed his eyes for a second before focusing on Moody's expectant face "I know you're right my friend, but as long as we still call ourselves light, I cannot forgo the right way before we try using the fast and maybe more efficient way." Lifting his hand to stop Moody from going on a second tirade, Dumbledore added quietly, "I am aware we could've received a hit tonight that we might not have recovered from, but that's if the boy is a supporter of Tom. He could be just a boy who was, by way of mistake or fate, brought here through the Mirror. Can we punish and use such means on someone who by our children's mistake is here. I don't believe so. So I will wait to get the information we're waiting for from the children before we come to a decision."

Finishing his speech, Albus angled an expectant look at Moody, who gave a reluctant nod of his head. Dumbledore then turned to Phineas and said, "Phineas, I will ask you again to go up and keep an eye on our visitor. We need information, but if that isn't forthcoming then simply keep watch over his actions. Moody, would you like a cup of tea while we wait for James?"

Receiving a grunt from Moody, and seeing Phineas leave the painting in the drawing room to, for all purposes, go back to the intruder's room, Albus headed for the kitchen. He absently said to Moody, "I do believe Molly left some of her excellent lemon biscuits in the kitchen, now if only we know where she hid them from the children."

Seeing the scandalized look on Moody's face, he added, "While we're researching the purpose of that Mirror of course. I was reading about it before you came back my friend." Then with a hint of amusement that had Moody narrowing his eyes suspiciously Dumbledore added, "Why don't you go back to the Weasley's and check what the twins say about this evening's events. I do believe when they see you the confession will come easier to them."

With another grunt, for assent Albus concluded, Moody headed to the fireplace in the kitchen and tossed some floo powder into it before vanishing with a quick "the Borrow" shout.

Dumbledore turned to the book that he had been reading before he was interrupted. It was all so very interesting, and if what he was reading was correct, then he thought, as he raised a hand to adjust his moon shaped glasses, the Order Headquarters wasn't in danger after all.

He had to admit he had been feeling quite calm even though the Order members were afraid they had been under threat. Maybe his instincts were right after all. If the boy was really a spy or an infiltrator for Tom, he'd already have done his mission, or an attack would have already occurred. No, he had known it was bigger than that, and reading about it, he saw that his instincts hadn't lead him astray.

An amused hum left him as he went back to reading about the purpose of the Mirror of Possibilities in the 1980's. How very interesting! spying, but on people that turned out to be the wrong ones. Hmmm.

The book, a very old one, belonged to the Black family. The Black family library was the most appropriate place to look. After all, the mirror has belonged to them for some time, passed down generation after generation of Blacks. According to the book, the mirror was used mostly by Black descendants, with information added to it by each member who had used it.

Humming to himself again, he turned the page and stared at the title "Conclusion: "Alternative Universes".

Indeed! How interesting. "You learn something new each day, Albus. Never say you're too old to learn." He murmured to himself, chuckling quietly as he read through this new chapter. Slowly, then once again. Rubbing his forehead, Dumbledore removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily. This day was proving to be a long one. But at least it was a change from his usual day of planning the war, improving Hogwarts's defenses and giving consults to stubborn ministers.

"Albus."

"James, my boy, I have been waiting for you." Albus answered as he replaced his glasses on his face.

It was all the greeting James needed before he looked at the older wizard and asked the question that had plagued him since the start of this mess, "Did you find anything about that mirror?"

With a calm smile Albus nodded indicating the chair in front of him. He waited until James took the seat offered with a nervous energy before answering. "Yes as a matter of fact I was just reading about that. I do believe I have a hunch as to where our young visitor came from."

"Excuse me?"

"Hmm, you heard me correctly, my boy. I haven't talked to him yet or looked in on him since Madam Pomfrey left, but I do believe he's awake so I'll be talking to him in a minute. After you tell me what you find out from young Joshua of course"

Looking up from the book, Albus met the eyes of the irritated man sitting in front of him. James looked close to jumping up from his seat to pace in front of him just to release some of the pint up energy stored inside of him. Before he could comment on it, James took the initiative. "I can tell you what Joshua just said, but I can't promise that it'll make sense." With a snort, he added. "As usual, Joshua does what he wants and doesn't think beforehand"

"As I remember, it wasn't so long ago that a young man graced the hallways in Hogwarts who did things, pranks too, without thinking of the consequences either."

At that reminder, James flinched. "It's not the same and you know it, Albus. Neither me nor my friends ever played with dark objects while staying in the Headquarters of a secret society that is threatened by a Dark Lord." Was his quick irritated rejoinder.

"True, my boy, but none the less, we have to make allowances that you and your friends weren't given the opportunity to do so like your son"

"Damn it, Albus. Why are you defending him?" snapped James, finally jumping from his chair with that outburst. "You know what he did was wrong," He added, looking directly at the headmaster.

"Indeed I do. But I believe you're being harsh enough on him without my help." Seeing the startled expression on the younger man's face, Albus added, "But might I inquire as to why you're being so harsh with him James?" Raising his hand to stop the young man from snapping another angry answer, he added "He made a mistake. I acknowledge that, and I do believe a punishment, a severe one is warranted, but your excessive anger is not my boy. You should be thankful he is safe and not interrogate him as if he was a suspect of some criminal act."

Seeing the dark look on James's face and knowing that this argument, like many others he had with him after each of Joshua's trouble makings at school, was useless, he raised a hand to stop the argument there before asking, "What did you learn from him? What happened tonight?"

Swallowing, James stopped himself from reacting to all that the Headmaster just said. Instead, he concentrated on telling him what Joshua said. After finishing his explanation of how the stranger came to be here, and emphasizing the blood part of what happened, with a look at Albus, they sat in silence. James was waiting and Albus was thinking with brief looks at the book in front of him, humming and taking sips from his tea which James was gracious enough to conjure after he finished his explanation.

"You know this young man, Harry, does have a remarkable resemblance to you, my boy." Albus quietly remarked carefully after a minute, not looking up from the book.

James head snapped up from his own teacup which he was staring at, lost in thought, shock on his face at the remark. "You ... you said you didn't talk to him!"

"No I didn't, but I saw him while he was being examined. I do believe it is time I meet him, don't you think?" With a slight nod to James, Albus moved toward the stairs.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Standing stock still for a few seconds, Harry felt the urge to laugh. He knew he was acting insane, but he couldn't help it. His head was on the point to explode, his body had several aches, and he had no idea what the hell was going on here. Which was the most important. The world seemed to have turned upside down. First waking in this room, then Kreacher, and now ..this.

Professor Dumbledore.

Harry shook his head to clear it from the fuzziness that seemed to have taken residence since he had woken up, and took a deep breath. There had to be a reasonable explanation, but it was one that he wouldn't be getting here. At least, not as long as his house looked like, well, looking around him Harry made a face. It looked like it did in his fifth year. Hell, what a charming memory to wake up to.

"L.. l.. leave? Now? "

Startled Harry turned around abruptly to find Kreacher crawling along the wall, eyeing him with bugging red eyes, while going in the direction where the tunnel had opened in the wall.

"Mudblood Master leave. Yes, leave now."

"Where does this tunnel lead to Kreacher?" Harry asked as he approached the tunnel. Maybe this was the best solution to take for now, leaving to get help before coming back. Maybe after he felt better too.

Harry tried to look inside the tunnel, to see anything, but he quickly gave up. It was simply too dark to see anything. It was too stuffy too, was Harry's wary thought. Will he be able to get out if he went in? Was Kreacher setting him up? Before, he would've said no but now looking at him... Harry wasn't so sure anymore.

"Lead to? Mudblood Master asking Kreacher questions." Kreacher's eyes were moving rapidly all over the room like he was looking at anything but Harry.

Avoiding looking at me is he, was Harry's irritated thought, we'll see about that. Approaching him again, Harry carefully spoke, trying to infuse as much authority into his voice as possible. "Where does it lead to Kreacher? I asked you a question."

"Main hall." was the abrupt answer, Kreacher's eyes looking directly at him "Mudblood Master go, go front door, yes leave?"

"Now we're getting somewhere," Harry said under his breath. "Is there anything inside this tunnel that I should watch out for? Something that might hurt me?" He asked, trying to make his question as direct as possible, no way to misinterpret it that way.

Good thing he understood how Slytherin thought, apparently it helps with deranged house elves too.

"Mudblood Master asks there something in tunnel, but no. Kreacher use tunnel, it is good, n.. n.. nothing inside."

"Good," Harry breathed out, turning to the tunnel raising the arm still holding his wand. "Lumos." He directed the light inside the tunnel walking his first steps inside before murmuring. "This isn't so bad."

"Nothing too harmful."

"What?" was Harry's shout of alarm, turning around to the tunnel's entrance only to see Kreacher's gleeful face before the tunnel closed in Harry's face. Slamming into the closed entrance, he could hear Kreacher cackle before a voice said loudly, "Where is that boy, house-elf? Answer me immediately. I am of the Black house and you are under an obligation to answer me"

Raising an eyebrow, Harry concluded that Phineas was back. And as full of himself as ever. Oh well, good timing on his part. Now let's hope those not so harmful things keep away while he find his way to the entrance hall. He can make his quiet exit and see maybe if he can get a headache potion, but damn this was more like a major migraine than a headache. He didn't care so much about the aches in his body, he was used to worse, but the damn headache was new.

Trying to see where he was stepping was hard even with the lumos spell, so he used his second hand to try feeling his way out. Good thing he wasn't claustrophobic, otherwise managing in this very tight tunnel would have been hell, Harry thought with a snort.

Tripping over a step, Harry managed to steady himself and save himself from a very nasty tumble down what appeared to be a flight of stairs. Cursing his inattentiveness, he felt his way down them carefully with his feet.

"Damn," he exploded when he went head first into a wall in front of him. It seemed he had to look up and not just down where his feet were going, so not only to avoid a tumble but to avoid getting a concussion in addition to his headache. Perfect. Turning a corner he felt his way down another set of stairs, while holding his left hand up to make sure no more walls will greet him, or his head for that matter.

He was becoming as sarcastic as the best of them. Harry breathed out irritably with a slight smile, then went into a coughing fit when he breathed the heavy dust in.

"Damn" cough "damn" coughing, no more. Concentrate Potter.

Aha, another wall and no more stairs. Now how to open the exit? Nice, he forgot to ask Kreacher about that. Real smart, Potter. Why the hell did he have Snape in his head berating him now? Wasn't this situation screwed up as it was!

Feeling the wall in front of him up and down several times, sneezing when he breathed in more dust, Harry was starting to get annoyed. There was nothing, damn it. Think. How do most Hogwarts tunnels open, Potter? It had to be the same logic. Look for some pitting or anything different.

Feeling his way for the tenth time, Harry felt a slight circular stone on the bottom left of the wall. Aha. Here we go. Kneeling he tried to turn it, but it didn't work. Pressing it is not working either. Come on!

Breathing deeply, Harry made an effort to calm down. I've been in worse situations why am I letting this get to me? Because you have a bad feeling, Harry concluded. And usually his intuitions were right.

This day just couldn't get any worse.

Feeling the stone again, trying to manipulate it, he lost his balance. Trying to stop himself from falling face first into the dusty wall in front of him, Harry reached out, his fingers scraping the corridor wall to his right, trying to regain his balance. Feeling another circular stone, his fingers grabbed it, trying to stand back up, but it moved down with him, proving unhelpful as he fell sideways into the wall to his right.

But it seemed that his luck was taking a turn as the wall opposite him moved to the side and light hit his eyes making him squint. Grabbing his wand, Harry leveled it up from his position on his knees in the tunnel looking around at the entrance hall. He saw nothing after a minute of silence while he waited to see if anyone heard the scraping the wall made. Harry stood up carefully and left the tunnel.

He was in the corridor that continued from the front door to the stairs that lead to second floor. It had two doors leading from it, the kitchen and the drawing room. At least that hadn't changed. Both of them were closed and no sounds came from them.

A loud creaking noise made Harry jump in alarm and look behind him. The wall with the tunnel that he had just exited through had closed behind him making Harry cringe. He hoped no one heard that, but just to make sure he had to leave fast.

With a last look at the big picture of some scenery that now graced the wall of the tunnel, which he was going to get rid of too when he had Kreacher back under control, he kept his wand ready and with a quick glance to the closed door and the stairs he was about to start walking carefully toward the door when all his careful planning was interrupted by…

"Good evening, young man. Don't you think it's a bit early to retire?"

Hell this day actually could get worse.

Turning around, he saw what he missed before. The Headmaster was standing in the shadows the entire time, watching his careful exit from the tunnel and his inspection of the entrance hall.

Great Auror work, Potter, and you want to get promoted to the last level of training. Watching the Headmaster, the dead former headmaster, descend the stairs, all Harry could think about was that he really _didn't_ need his trainers, nor Snape's, sarcastic voice in his head. He could get a handle on this without sarcastic people screaming in his head.

The former Headmaster was now walking slowly toward him with a careful approach that was mean to calm him down. No matter, he was ready. Harry thought as he fingered his wand, ready for any move he might make.

Seeing Dumbledore stand a couple of feet away, watching him, but not saying anything, Harry decided to take the initiative. With a direct firm look into the calming light blue eyes, he said with a sarcastic tinge to his voice, "Early? I do believe I overstayed my welcome."

"Ahhh, then we do have a problem. I do not believe it is prudent for you to leave just yet." Then raising an arm slowly so as not to alarm the young man standing in front of him, Dumbledore indicated the door to his right that Harry knew lead to the kitchen and added "I do believe a cup of tea and a chat might be wise. If you will follow me, please."

Finishing that sentence, he turned not waiting for Harry's answer, and walked through the door into the kitchen leaving the door open.

Standing still, Harry looked into the kitchen calculating what to do next. His trainer would have screamed at him to get out of there, to never enter a situation he didn't understand or know its final results. But Harry knew that wasn't an option now. For some reason, after seeing his dead former Headmaster, he didn't feel that the man was an imposter or an enemy trying to take revenge by .. By what? Taking the image of the former Headmaster? It just didn't make sense. What the hell was he doing playing this game with people who were probably enemies? But still, enter he will. As the Headmaster always said you shouldn't judge by the first impression you get of a person, was Harry's last sarcastic thought choosing to ignore the fact that said Headmaster also always told him to be more careful and take control of the curiosity that had put him in so many dangerous situations in the past.

Walking slowly, Harry stood in the doorway of the kitchen, and was brought to a standstill. He was shocked to see the kitchen as he remembered it from his teenage years. No, it looked worse.

Looking to his right, Harry saw dirty cupboards and mold on the floor in every corner. To the left, was the big old table he used to sit at with the Order members while eating the meals that the Weasley matron had made for them. The Headmaster was sitting at that table, and already had tea cups and a teapot ready by the time that Harry decided to join him along with some biscuits on the table. Behind the Headmaster was a man kneeling on the rug in front of the fireplace and talking in low murmurs. Watching the Headmaster, Harry moved slowly to the chair situated opposite of him, watching him and the man carefully. Constant Vigilance, Harry, was the mantra going over and over in his head.

Pouring some tea, the Headmaster pushed the cup toward him, which Harry accepted with an acknowledging nod, but declined the offer of biscuits that the Headmaster assured him were "lemon biscuits made by our very own Molly" a fact that made Harry's face harden even more.

Seeing the Headmaster sip at his tea slowly with a genial smile at him whenever Harry caught his eye, He made an effort to appear at ease. However, his right hand was still holding his wand under the table, with his chair pushed back so if need be he could jump or roll away from any curses sent his way. Harry calculated fast, he had the door behind him and had the table as an option for a barrier in case he needed a quick exit. And there was always Kreacher who had to help him. But he won't depend too much on his help. Just like everything else in the house, Kreacher seemed to be the same as the one he knew in his fifth year.

Like the one in his fifth year! Merlin could it be? Could it be time travel? It makes sense, Dumbledore was himself. Harry knew his aura, how he felt talking to him. He was sure it was him. Except this Dumbledore was alive, like he was in his fifth year. Hell, this is not good!

"Is it time travel?"

Harry winced inwardly when he heard himself blurt that question aloud. He felt like a fifteen year old again looking to the Headmaster for answers and help with his life, not an almost ninteen year old Auror. A damn good Auror too.

Letting go of teacup, which he hadn't taken a sip of, he watched the Headmaster who was now looking at him pensively, having lost his calm smile.

"We should wait for James," Dumbledore said. Then with a sigh, he added "But no, I do not think it is time travel. That would be impossible to say the least."

"Impossible doesn't have the same meaning to me as it seems to have for you Headmaster," was Harry's answer.

"Doesn't it? How so?"

With an inward tired sigh, Harry decided to change the topic. His head was still pounding, less now, but it was still hard to concentrate. Vigilance, Potter, snap out of your lethargy! "So who is this James? I don't know of any Order member by that name."

"You don't?" was the rather surprised question.

The way it was asked made Harry's eyes narrow suspiciously. With raised eyebrows made to convey his exasperation with the irrelevant conversation, he said "No I don't. Should I then?"

"If you are who you claim to be, then yes you should."

That statement came from the man who had finished his conversation with whoever he was talking to and now stood behind the Headmaster to his right.

He was standing there looking at him his hands free by his sides like they were ready for any sudden movement Harry might make. An Auror stand, Harry noticed absently, for he was looking now at the man's face, his too familiar face. His black hair, that he saw each time he looked in the mirror. This hair was peppered with grey though, but still looked young. Hazel eyes, that were narrowed and looking at him suspiciously Harry realized incredulous. He's suspicious, hell I should be hexing him, not sitting here staring at his oval face, and at his too familiar black glasses.

Hell, I should stop cursing, but what the hell is going on here?

Through all this turmoil, Harry's face stayed staid, not one emotion showed either on his face or in his eyes. Occlumency was sure helpful, Harry thought calmly.

Ok wrong first impression. Not time travel, but an elaborate mission to infiltrate my house. Auror talk sure was helpful, and sarcastic thoughts won't help.

Taking a deep breath, he was sure only Dumbledore took notice of, he stood up slowly, then with a calm he didn't feel, he asked the supposed dead Headmaster calmly while still looking at this James fellow. "So if not time travel then what? And a reasonable explanation, please, because right now you're walking a thin line."

"Are you threatening us boy? Let me tell you a few … "

"James, a minute please. I am sure this young man did not mean to threaten. Why don't both of you sit down and I'll explain what I have found out." Then with his calm smile back on show, he added looking at Harry. "I have a suspicion that you are from an alternate universe." Raising a hand to stop Harry, who had opened his mouth to shoot his explanation down, he said "No. I will give an explanation, a full one, then I will listen to both of yours protests. Tea, James?"

"No." was the clipped answer.

"Then why don't we all sit down." He said again when his first suggestion was ignored by both of them.

They seemed stuck glaring each other down. How that would help, Albus had no idea, but for some reason he found the situation amusing. Well everyone did say he had an unusual sense of humor. Maybe they were right after all.

Waiting until they both sat down, Albus pulled the old book on the table closer to him. A book Harry had missed when he was checking his surroundings to make an escape route out of here.

It was old and frayed, but when opened by the Headmaster it looked as good as new. Preservation spells, was a fleeting thought, while Harry continued to watch the man covertly. Supposedly his dad in this equation? James was glaring at him. This is ridiculous, when will he wake up?

"As I was saying before, I believe the Mirror you came through, Harry. May I call you Harry?" Albus asked, looking up from the book with an inquiring look.

"Yes."

"Great. Well then I insist you call me Albus," He said with smile at him and at James who was sitting tense on the edge of his chair. As if he can take me, Harry winced inwardly. Never underestimate your opponent, Potter.

A raised eyebrow was all the answer he gave to the Headmaster's…Albus's statement, but it seemed to annoy the stranger, James. Harry watched him tense even more and his glare became more intense if that was even possible. Why don't you burn a hole in my forehead, see if that helps you. He snapped back to attention when Albus continues his explanation.

"Again," he sighed with his irritating calm smile. "As I was saying, the Mirror you came through … "

"What Mirror?" Harry interrupted, not feeling the least bit rude. He didn't owe them any respect or manners.

"If you don't interrupt you'd find out, boy" snapped James.

"James." Was the only thing Albus said trying to calm the man down. He ignored the sarcastic quirk of Harry's mouth that was directed at James. Harry was trying to make James lose his temper, something every Auror knew he shouldn't do in a hazardous situation, Albus thought with a twinkle. Harry, it seemed was trying to take charge of the situation.

Turning to Harry he continued with the twinkle back into his eyes. "Excuse me, Harry, I should start the story from the beginning." With that statement, Harry sat through a long explanation of how some kids that he didn't recognize, a Joshua and Francesca, along with the twins and Ginny, here Harry had raised an eyebrow with an incredulous look, had used a mirror named the Mirror of Possibilities to watch him. Spy on him more likely, was Harry's thoughts as his mouth tightened into an angry thin line. Apparently they then used blood, the idiots, on this Mirror which Albus believed to be dark and the next thing they know they found him in the dungeon hurt along with the rest.

It was a very brief explanation. Brief and insufficient in Harry's opinion. It sounded farfetched, but before he could comment, the fireplace blazed and another man fell from it gracefully, making Harry jump from his chair and clutch his wand waiting to see what happened. It seemed that James was waiting for any wrong movements from him as he jumped up from his chair immediately after Harry. His wand was in his hand in a second pointing at him, which made Harry snap his hand up in his direction too.

The new arrival was oblivious to all this as he was standing near the fireplace using his hands to remove the dust that had clung to his black robes.

A tense silence seemed to echo in the room. Even Albus looked resigned to the tense atmosphere between him and this James fellow. Before anyone could say anything else, the new arrival looked up, finally sensing the tense air surrounding him, then with a curse he looked from James to Harry.

"What the hell… ?" Was the man's amazed shout. Without a second to waste, he had his wand out too, pointing at Harry, who stood there frozen. His wand was still up and pointing at James, but his eyes stuck on the stranger.

Then after another minute with everyone watching each other, waiting for someone to break the silence, it was Harry who snapped out of his daze at last and whispered one word.

"Sirius?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Author Note**: hi first off sorry for the long wait, I know I hate it when an author does that but I have an excuse which is a long overdue trip.

Other than that, I like to say that I finally have a beta. Her name is "**beccababy**" and she's very helpful, nice and very smart. So hopefully my writing will show an improvement from now on. No more paragraph and grammar mistakes

Also, a big big thank you to all of you guys who reviewed my story, and gave me a push to write faster. It helped a lot

And as usual- Hope you enjoy 


	9. Fact or Fiction?

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter eight**

**"**Fact or Fiction?"

The silence echoed with explosive undercurrents. James stood frozen, his eyes snapping sharply between the bewildered Sirius, whose wand hand had faltered with the emotion filled exclamation, and Harry who had stood after blurting Sirius's name with all emotion wiped clean from his face.

Watching them stare at each other, James couldn't prevent the burst of sudden anger. What the hell was going on here? He, Harry, knew Sirius, but not him? Not that James's treatment of him had been nice, but if what Dumbledore said was true, he was now looking at his long dead son's face. A son who reacted with more emotion to his friend than he did to his supposed father. Not that James was acting very fatherly what with him still pointing a wand at the boy.

"Yea, that'll be me," was Sirius's obvious try at breaking the stand still. Then before James could snap out of his musings, Sirius shocked him when he said "Merlin! You look so much like James!"

Almost snapping his neck with the sharp turn of his head in Sirius's direction, James gave him the glare Harry started to associate with his supposed fathers face. The man sure can glower!

Watching silently, his heart beating an angry tattoo inside his chest, as James glared at Sirius at that exclamation, a glare that seemed as instinctive as Harry's exclamation had been when he saw Sirius. Before he could take control of his rioting emotions he heard himself say quietly, and with a pretence of calm he was far from feeling "But I have my mother's eye's."

All eyes turned to him again, including a still incredulous looking James. Feeling a blush creeping slowly up his cheeks at his unintentional comeback, Harry added with a sarcastic tinge trying to change the emotional current that seemed to have taken a hold of the room since Sirius's entrance. "But I was assured I have a unique personality that doesn't resemble either of my parents" He finished.

Silence again. Sighing inwardly, Harry looked sideways at Albus wondering why the aged Headmaster hasn't entered the fray already. Seeing the Headmaster's sharp calculating eyes looking at him, he lowered his lashes and went back to staring at James. It seemed that even though this Albus looked tired and worn, more so than he ever saw his own Headmaster, he still had his spirit and most importantly, and to Harry's misfortune, he had his sharp mind.

Harry had no doubt that his emotional exclamation had registered with the Headmaster, and that he now had to wait for said Headmaster to take the opportunity to question him, as he was sure he would, about it. He knew his Headmaster well enough to know that he would do so.

"So I'll take a wild guess and say you must be our previously unconscious visitor. How are you feeling then?" Seeing James's glare turn toward him again, Sirius tried to explain. "I've been given firm instructions by Molly and Ginny to ask him that and tell him there is still some food in the fridge if he's hungry!"

Albus was eyeing him now curiously, wanting to see further how he'd react to Sirius, Harry knew, it was not a good thing when Albus eyed anyone like that, it meant he wanted to know all the how's and why's. Probably the answer to why he reacted to Sirius like this and not his supposed father. He was being studied for his reactions, and Albus was a master at catching blurted, unintentional words and fleeting expressions. Harry should know, everyone always said he had inherited those qualities from him, heaven knows how he did they were not related after all, well as unrelated as pureblood families could be that is.

Deciding to take control of the situation as Albus seemed content with observing his reactions more than calming the two men down, he decided to make an effort. Harry made sure his Occlumency shields were holding and as strong as ever and that his face wasn't showing any emotion, a blank. Now to the part Horace always said was his main problem, speaking before thinking and calculating the impact of each word.

So with an answer he knew would give nothing away, he focused on Sirius's first question and ignored the 'Molly and Ginny' remark, by saying simply, "I'm doing well except for that _small unconscious ordeal_, thank you. How has your day been going?"

Right! If I know Sirius well enough, he should take that as a challenge to play it cool for as long as possible. After all, even if Sirius always denied it, he was raised in a dark family that taught its children to calculate and play with words to make the opponent give more than he was willing. Of course Sirius never did that with him, simply because he was comfortable being himself with his godson, but not in this instance. This was not the same Sirius.

First impression though, Harry's mind worked quickly assimilating the difference and similarities, Sirius did look the same, except for the haunted look that was always there in his godfather's eyes, this one looked tough, sarcastic, and determined. Looks Harry wasn't used to seeing directed at him. Usually it was at someone Sirius wanted to annoy into getting his way.

"Well you know my day could've been better, what with an _intruder_ appearing out of _nowhere_ in _my_ house," was the sarcastic and pointed answer. "And then finding him and my best friend pointing their wands at each other! They still are by the way" he added with a raised eyebrow and a glance at their wands.

Ah the ball was back in his court, so with a second of silence to think of his reply, Harry said calmly. "I assure you I would've refused to _intrude_ if I was given the choice …" Taking a moment to give his words time to penetrate he then added. "And I do believe one has the right to _defend_ himself when he finds himself at wand point!"

"This is ridiculous! We need to know if he is who he claims to be! Not spend our night chit chating!"

James apparently didn't know about word games or the benefits of observation to get your answers. But it had the wanted result, for Harry at least, as Albus decided to take back control of the conversation with that outburst. "Yes, of course you're right, my boy."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Albus looked at James waiting for the younger man to meet his eyes fleetingly, as James seemed fixated with staring and pointing his wand at Harry, before speaking. "Please lower your wand, you too Harry, and let's all take seats. Sirius if you could firecall the Borrow and let everyone know that the situation has been handled. No need for more visitors, or tension I believe, in this kitchen"

Waiting for Sirius to turn to the fireplace to make the call, Albus looked at James and Harry, who were back to staring each other down. The situation needed a firmer hand, Albus concluded. "James, Harry lower your wands. This won't solve anything. Now if you please."

Albus looked away from the sight of both of them sitting carefully in their chairs as alert as ever, watching each other's movement suspiciously like before. How could James miss the resemblance even while maintaining his cautious behavior?

"Done." Sirius was back, making Harry jump slightly in his chair at his sudden exclamation. Cursing quietly again at his obvious discomfort in the man's radius. If his obvious agitation was missed before, it wasn't now, that's for sure he thought sarcastically. Albus, James, and even the usually oblivious Sirius looked at him strangely.

Sirius even raised an eyebrow in his direction at his obvious jumpiness since he flooed over before looking at Albus. "I told Mad-Eye to go home. He wanted to come over, was adamant about it, but Kingsley said he'll handle the situation there." Looking at Harry briefly he added quietly. "The kids are asking questions about our visitor."

"I am right here you know!"

Damn was that him again? Where was his Occlumency shield when he needed it? Harry should learn to keep his mouth shut, as Snape used to tell him often enough. Get any more obvious than this Potter and you'll be as wonderful of an Auror as your trainer thought you'd be.

"I did notice that," Sirius retorted, with a raised eyebrow and what Harry was sure would've been an amused curl of his mouth if he wasn't shooting nervous looks at James. Then turning to James, he asked him quietly. "Did you get Joshua to tell you what happened then?" After receiving James's terse nod, Sirius turned next to Albus who was watching them calmly. "So did you figure out what's going on? Do you still need me to tell you what the twins and Ginny said?"

Ginny again! Harry turned to stone, his mind going to his girlfriend. It was the first time the thought of his situation got through. If he was truly in an alternative universe, something he was starting to believe as he couldn't find any other explanation, then his friends, his girlfriend, hell everyone would be worried, looking for him. His mind flashed back to Neville, Ron, and Kingsley calling his name before he blacked out.

"I believe we got our answers from Joshua, but if you could recount what was said briefly. Tea Sirius?" Albus asked, getting Sirius's no with a calm nod and snapping Harry out of his panicked thoughts with that exchange.

Harry listened to Sirius recount what the twins apparently said with a calm visage, waiting until he finished to turn back to Albus, ignoring James who seemed back into glaring at him after Sirius finished talking.

Turning to Albus waiting for what he might say next, he caught Albus's watchful gaze directed at him while Sirius gave his story. Raising an eyebrow in question, the Headmaster smiled faintly, before turning to Sirius with a nod.

Harry focused on Albus who, after a pause of looking at him with an enigmatic look, said quietly meeting his eyes head on. "Making sure that each of us is who he says he is, is important. Don't you think, Harry?" Then glancing at James. "James?"

Getting nods from his audience, even Sirius, Albus continued. "Then I have a feeling you believe who we claim to be Harry?" Seeing him about to protest, Albus added. "But you still need actual proof. Am I right?" It was a serious question, and Albus looked quite grave.

"Yes. You talked about an Alternative Universe, Albus." Harry said, ignoring Sirius's spluttering from in front of him as Sirius looked at him shocked, then at Albus and James bewildered, to continue. "But if that is so, and let's say I believe it, then you'll have no problem proving your identity or mine, _Headmaster._" He ended with a questioning look, feeling more focused now then he had all evening. He knew how to get this resolved. The perfect way.

"I do, my boy?" Was the quiet questioning reply he got

"Yes. After all, if you are the famous Albus Dumbledore, the easiest way to prove it will be by summoning your phoenix. Fawkes."

Looking at the surprised, supposedly Headmaster of Hogwarts, Harry felt that for the first time this evening he was getting ahead of himself, and especially ahead of this different, but still the same, Dumbledore.

When he got no reaction except a "Well that makes sense" from a very subdued Sirius and a disgusted grunt from James, Harry opened his mouth to speak, while tensing his body for defense if they attacked his idea. However, he was interrupted before he could say anything by Albus who still looked at him quietly, and called out expectantly "Fawkes."

Still looking each other in the eye, Harry saw a burst of orange and yellow flame over their heads, as music filled the room. Before his very own eyes he watched incredulous as Fawkes, who he hadn't seen in almost three years, appeared over their heads before landing on the table in front of Albus, looking as fierce and majestic as ever.

Oh hell! As much as he had known that this Albus was the real thing, seeing Fawkes just made it sink in that much more. He was in an actual alternative universe. How he could use Hermione and her logic and book knowledge right now, was his last dazed thought.

"So how will we be sure you are who you claim to be now?" Was the bewildered question coming from Sirius as Harry's eyes seemed to be glued to Fawkes, while Albus and James watched him carefully from across the table, the later with a more intense, careful watchfulness.

"Well," clearing his suddenly dry throat, Harry looked at Albus and said "I believe the Headmaster knows how."

"Now, Harry, I asked you to call me Albus." Was the simple irrelevant answer he got.

Trying to refrain from rolling his eyes in exasperation, Harry watched James, an unusually quiet James, look fiercely and expectantly at Albus.

Feeling tired, Harry looked at the interaction carefully, as Albus turned his eyes to Fawkes, but before he could say anything, Fawkes let out a beautiful trill before taking flight to land on Harry's shoulders.

Feeling all eyes on him, Harry raised a hand carefully to pet the affectionate phoenix before saying out loud what he had already admitted to himself. "Ok, so this proves you're Albus Dumbledore." Then with a violent shake of his head which made Fawkes give another low trill before flying to stand on the edge of the table to groom his feathers, Harry looked up and added. "But what about them? Let them prove their identities."

But apparently for James that was the wrong thing to say since before anyone else could react to his statement, James snapped out of his quiet disposition.

"Listen here! We played this game long enough. We shouldn't have to prove who we are, you're the intruder here, not us! You prove that you're not here to spy or attack us!" James snapped the heated indignant sentence.

"And how do I go around doing that? Fawkes showed you I'm light when he let me pet him! Anything else you get from me will be by my choice. So learn to ask nicely, _James,_" Was the quick sarcastic reply. Harry felt close to losing it, and _James,_ he emphasized his named sarcastically in his head again, wasn't helping matters.

"That is true," Sirius said reflectively, but after receiving a glare from his friend, he hurriedly added. "About Fawkes not standing on people who are dark or letting them pet him! At least we know it wasn't an attack on the H… " Pausing abruptly for a minute, Harry watched closely as he completed his sentence carefully."On my house."

Sirius wasn't in the habit of watching what he said, the fact that he just did, showed how different he was from the Sirius Harry knew. This one realized there were consequence to things, not like his godfather who did things with a recklessness that sometimes made Harry grit his teeth in frustration and want scold him like a child. But on the other hand, his Sirius wasn't used to people as he didn't interact a lot with society after breaking out of Azkaban.

"You are right of course, Harry" Was Albus's quiet rejoinder before adding with his typical quiet look. "But still just to be sure, would you submit to a couple of basic questions while under Veritaserum?"

"Hell no! No way in this lifetime!" Harry quickly replied, startled. He jumped up, feeling nervous again. James jerked out of his chair too, something that Harry was sure to become a tradition, though this time he didn't withdraw his wand, only put his hand on it carefully, ready in case Harry drew his.

No one spoke for a minute after his outburst, the only sound in the kitchen was coming from Fawkes. His quiet melodious trills filled the room, louder now as tension filled the room.

Taking a calming breath, Harry looked away from James, and said clearly. "I don't handle Veritaserum well. I seem to have an adverse reaction to it. So it wouldn't be a good idea to try it as you won't get your answers and I'll end up with a head splitting headache." No need to mention that he'll probably black out before waking up with said headache, a headache worse than the one returning right now he thought irritably, sitting down with a calm he didn't feel, watching Sirius finally sit down next to James who sat down right after Harry did.

Seeing Albus look at him, quietly contemplating his statement, Harry knew how his mind worked. He'd be calculating if what Harry said was true or fabrication. Even though, he'd been mostly nice and genial toward him, because of that book and the information it contained, Harry was sure his nice attitude won't last long if Albus thought he might be a threat to any of the people who he cared about.

"That is a problem" was the quiet firm voice of Albus intruding in on his thoughts, looking up he was met by the cold blue eyes staring directly into his green ones, no twinkle in evidence. Before he could anticipate it and with no warning beforehand he felt a slight push at his mental barrier.

It took a second for Harry to decide what to do next. It was the only way to convince him without being too helpless. After all he was proficient enough to make sure the Headmaster saw enough to verify but not too much of what Harry considered his private life.

Letting up on his Occlumency shields, Harry lifted his mental barrier on the place where he kept his identity, his personality and all that made him him, and let the Headmaster in. He felt comfortable with Albus's slight intrusion, it was not too much to be intrusive, but enough to take the truth out of the lie. He knew Albus, so it was a familiar intrusion; his barriers didn't feel threatened by this familiar stranger sliding into his head.

Showing him the place where his name was located, the truth of his identity was easy. So was protecting his mind and showing Albus what he needed to see to affirm his identity. At least it was before Harry was distracted when an outside voice intruded for a minute. Sirius practically shouted "What's going on?" before being shushed firmly by James. It wasn't much, but it made his concentration slip for only a second; a second too much. Harry felt Albus trying to see some memories of his childhood, probably aiming to see familiar people. he was aware how that would achieve nothing but questions, questions he did not want out in the open, so instinctively, recklessly, he raised a block to prevent him from seeing those memories, not preparing the next memory he wanted seen which threw Albus into another set of memories. Memories that were at the forefront of his mind since waking up in Grimmuald place, since he saw the house as it used to be in his fifth year, neglected, dark, and dirty. It was a memory he sure as hell didn't want to be seen, even less than the memories from his childhood.

It was a memory that for him signified love in the darkness of war. So in the circumstances, it was only natural that this memory would be the one Albus was thrown into when Harry got distracted by his godfather's voice.

The memory was from the drawing room in Grimmuald place, where a rattled, crying Mrs. Weasley stood with her wand out pointing at a body lying on the floor in front of her. It was Harry's dead body. He could feel Albus's confusion before he saw Harry standing alive near Mrs. Weasley, upset and trying to convince her to leave the drawing room, to let someone else deal with the boggart. In the next instant, before Harry could recover enough to remove Albus from this memory to another safe one, they saw Remus followed by Sirius and Mad-Eye come running into the drawing room. It was Sirius's face that Harry remembered focusing on, and so his memory focused on his reaction as well. Sirius stood staring at where Harry's supposed body was long after Remus had vanished the boggart. His face was pale, eyes frozen, before looking up at Harry with dead haunted eyes.

Seeing his dead godfather's eyes jolted Harry back to what he was doing, and with an effort he blocked his memories of that time and opened some memories of the Headmaster's office. Albus glimpsed into an afternoon Harry spent with him in his office at Hogwarts, where they sat drinking tea with biscuits. Then another memory came up where Albus asked about his day. Harry answered with a story about him and his friend's last visit to Hagrid and his new pet that had the Headmaster chuckling, amused at their adventure. And last, a very short memory showing the affection Albus had for Harry when he called him 'my boy.'

Harry knew that those memories would show that he was trustworthy. After all, Albus was an excellent judge of character, whether it was back home or in some other alternative universe. If he treated Harry and talked to him like that, it showed not only affection, but closeness and a trust that Albus didn't favor many with. And that, Harry decided, will have to be enough.

With that last memory Harry expelled Albus from his mind, panting heavily from the effort it took to direct the Headmaster toward the memories he wanted to be seen and not those from a time of his life that he thought of as intensely private. They were memories he didn't want anyone to see, not even the esteemed Headmaster.

Thinking fast, Harry knew that even though Albus saw more than Harry was willing to show, it could still work in his favor. After all, seeing him trusted by not only by himself, but by the paranoid Moody, and cared about by the Weasley matron in addition to Sirius and Remus was only additional proof of his identity.

Harry knew what he had risked by letting him in, but he needed support in this new place, so giving trust back was essential. And he was given trust. After all, if a stranger fell into the Black house from a mirror, and then tried to run, Harry would've treated the intruder with much less civility than that shown to him by Albus since meeting him near the stairs.

Looking up, Harry snapped out of his haze, his mental barriers back in place, to see the Headmasters eyes back on him. With a thoughtful look on his face, Albus looked at him for a minute more in silence then with slight nod of acknowledgment. Harry knew it was more of an apology for the necessity of the intrusion into his mind, but it was definitely not regret, Albus turned to James and Sirius who seemed to be aware of what happened and were waiting for an explanation. But the only explanation Albus was willing to give was a short sentence. "He is who he says he is. I believe him to be Harry Potter. A Harry Potter from an Alternative Universe."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Are we supposed to wait much longer?"

Joshua was bored. How long does it take for his dad to tell the Headmaster what happened or to get him to come question them? No, something had to have happened, but his mum wouldn't let them budge from the room. Fran had long since fallen asleep, exhausted from what happened. It was probably her body's way to recover after the excitement and the injuries inflicted on her earlier this evening. But Joshua didn't feel the slightest bit tired, nor was his mum if her wide eyed fixed stare was anything to go by.

She had tried to question them more about the mirror, about what happened, but they had nothing more to tell her. He had retold what they had seen and what had occurred two more times. By the second time he retold it, Fran had already given up the fight to stay awake and had fallen asleep on the bed they had been sitting on. Now his mum sat on the chair near the door, and he stood by the window, looking outside.

"I'm sure your father will come as soon as he knows what's going on, Joshua." Lily answered quietly, looking at her energetic son. He didn't look even a little sleepy, even after the ordeal and injuries he'd been through. With a sigh she added quietly. "We need to go home so you can get some sleep too, or else tomorrow you won't be able to wake up tomorrow."

Aiming an incredulous look at his mum, Joshua shook his head. "No thanks, I'll wait! I want to know what's going on, if they talked to… Harry." He grimaced as he saw his mum flinch at the name and looked back down at the book she'd been flipping through.

Silence again. Damn he was bored. When would his dad come back, and why were they waiting? It was obvious to him that his dad forgot all about them. Probably getting to know Harry while they were stuck here.

Determined to leave the room, Joshua opened his mouth to argue with his mum again, to try to convince her to let him out, but before he could do so his mum stood up abruptly. She turned to Joshua who stood with his mouth open ready to speak. Frowning at him she said. "We're going home. James will follow us and that's it. Fran is tired and, even if you insist on denying it, you're tired too. We'll floo home from the upstairs fireplace, the one in the study."

"Well I don't want to go home! I was supposed to stay here with Padfoot!" Was Joshua's startled reply, looking at the closed door to their room, thinking how to convince their mum to let him stay, but his mum seemed to have decided on what to do next. She went over to Fran shaking her awake gently.

"Wha… what? Are we going home now, Mum?" Fran asked groggily.

"Yes," Was the abrupt answer while Lily helped her sit up on the bed and put her feet down on the floor. Then grabbing her hand, she helped Fran stand. But Fran, who hadn't been very steady on her feet since their wounds had been tended, swayed and his mum had to help her sit down again.

"Mum, maybe we can all stay over for the night. The potions you gave to Fran are affecting her. She can't even stand!" But the only reaction he got was a firm look before his mum said. "No, we're leaving. I'm going to use the portkey for me and Fran. It'll be able to take both of us." Then with a careful look at Joshua she added. "You stay here and floo back with your dad, you're not allowed to floo alone."

Joshua not believing his luck said immediately "Yea, I'll wait for him, don't worry, Mum. I won't floo alone." It was his chance to be able to go down to check on what was going on. He simply couldn't believe his good luck! She was leaving him here alone.

"You promise, Joshua Potter, that you won't make trouble if I leave you here alone." His mum said as she looked at him with a firm look.

"I promise, Mum." What Joshua was about to do he didn't consider trouble! It was not his problem that his mum didn't make him promise anything more specific to do with Harry.

With one last look at him, she turned and took Fran's hand. She took out her necklace, which was her portkey back home, and with a quick "The Hollow" his mum and Fran were gone before Fran could wake up properly and warn his mum about his 'devious mind' and how to word his promise better. Success!

Joshua stood still for a couple of seconds more to make sure that he was alone. Then with a smile that his godfather said was his trademark smirk before he made trouble, he strode toward the door. Opening the door, careful not to make noise that might draw attention to him, Joshua stuck his head out and looked out both ways to find the corridor quiet and empty. Closing the door behind him he stood and waited to see where the noise might come from, hearing distant voices from the kitchen, he made up his mind.

He went down the stairs from the second landing where they had been waiting, and took a right at the bottom of the stairs toward the kitchen. He could hear the talking clearer now.

Opening the kitchen door slightly to look in, Joshua was shocked by the scene that met his eyes. His dad was standing shaking with anger with Sirius behind him, his hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down no doubt. But his dad seemed to be ignoring Sirius in favor of raising his voice to Professor Dumbledore.

Leaning closer, he was in time to hear his dad's next sentence "… sure? You can't be! It's unheard of, people coming from alternative universes! Never happened before …"

"Actually it did happen before, as this book fully explains. " Was the Headmasters calm reply in the face of his dad's red faced anger "if you would take the time to read it my boy, you'll see it is true." Raising a hand firmly now, Professor Dumbledore had a look in his usually twinkling blue eyes that had Joshua shivering. "Enough! I know you're upset, but I have confirmed his identity myself. He is who he claims to be, and I have no reason to doubt him. But…" With this he turned, and now Joshua could finally see the fourth member of the party. Harry! "I am sure you'll understand, Harry, if we ask you to remain here, in Grimmauld Place, but I assure you, you won't be alone. Sirius is staying here too, and other people visit occasionally so you'll see and meet others. That is, until we know how to send you back. You do want to go back, I am right in assuming that?"

"Yes. I want to go back as soon as possible. I have no problem staying here. In fact, I'll be using the library to research this mirror myself. If I can have the book you were reading, Albus?" Harry firmly replied, ignoring James's incredulous glare at what was going on around him.

"Albus, he can't stay here!" James objected before Albus could answer Harry. However, Albus ignored him, and with a firm nod toward Harry, he said. "Yes, of course you can read the book. I'll leave it with you for the time being." Then turning to his dad, who looked even redder in the face if that was possible, Albus added. "I believe here is the safest place for him to stay unless," He added with a raised eyebrow. "You have a better place for him to stay?"

"Can he stay at our home?"

At this everyone turned to stare at him. Joshua hadn't even noticed that he had left the corridor and entered the kitchen. But it was apparent his dad wasn't happy about it.

"What are you doing here? Where's your mum? And Fran?" His dad furiously questioned in a low voice.

Choosing to ignore his questions, as Joshua knew nothing but more recriminations would come from them, he asked his own question all the while staring at Harry, who looked baffled at this new development. "He can stay with us, right?"

Seeing that James seemed to be unable to handle his son right now without screaming, Sirius decided it was time to intervene. "Well, Josh, mate, he can stay here with me, it's better. Now why don't you call your mum and Fran so you can floo home?"

"Mum already portkeyed home with Fran. And anyway, I'm staying here tonight! You promised, Sirius!" That had been the original plan after all: for him, Fran, and the Weasley's to stay over and help in cleaning the house, but now thinking about it, the house seemed too quiet! Where was everyone?

"It was. But plans change." Was the Headmaster's quiet reply, making Josh look at him now instead of at Sirius. With that Albus turned to James who, to Harry's amusement, was now glaring at this Josh person instead of him. "James, why don't you go home and explain what happened to Lily, I am sure she won't be patient for much longer. I'll send Josh after you in a minute."

James stood for a moment, apparently deciding whether to do as asked or not, but after a minute of expectant silence he turned on his heel with a last angry look at Josh, and left the kitchen without a word. A silence was left that echoed with questions.

Joshua was the first to speak. "Well why can't Harry come live with us then?" He asked looking at Sirius expectantly.

"Why would I want to live with you?" Harry decided to join the conversation which seemed to revolve around him, but not include him. He could decide for himself where to live, he didn't need a younger boy to decide that for him.

"'Cause we're your family obviously! You are my brother, aren't you?" He added hesitantly. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't gotten confirmation that he was really his brother. Could he have been so wrong to assume that they were related?

It was the Headmaster who answered him quietly as Harry looked too shocked to do so. "Yes, he is Harry Potter. But the rest of the explanation will have to come from your father, who I believe had already taken the floo from the living room by now. Sirius why don't you accompany Mr. Potter to his residence while I talk to Harry here?"

"What? Leave! But I haven't talked to him yet!" Then when Joshua realized he had been rude to the Headmaster, he turned slowly, but surely redder and redder as only a redhead can. He had just raised his voice to the Headmaster of Hogwarts he realized shakily, and Harry didn't seem to be in any better condition Joshua thought hazily seeing him standing frozen looking back at him strangely.

"Come on, Josh," Sirius said, clearing his throat, feeling the spiking tension generating from the young man who he now believed to be his long dead godson. "Let's get you home before your dad comes back here angrier than he already is." With that, he took Joshua's upper arm and started leading him toward the kitchen door.

"Why not floo from here? Afraid I might hear where they live?" The sarcastic question stopped Sirius from continuing toward the door and snapped Joshua out of his daze. But it was Albus who answered. "No, but this fireplace is used only for incoming travelers and floo calls. The one in the living room and the upper study are for leaving. Security measures are important, as I am sure you know from your previous stay in this house."

Harry grimaced at Albus's mention of what he saw in his memories. With a slight apologetic nod, he turned to Joshua and Sirius, who were watching them carefully, before Sirius said with forced cheer, "Well, now that that's explained adieu my good men. And…" he added looking at Harry now. "I'll be seeing you in a bit." With that, he left dragging a reluctant and vocal Joshua behind him.

Harry could hear them arguing all the way before the door to the living room across from the kitchen closed. Turning to the Headmaster who was watching him quietly, Harry looked back, not knowing what he was supposed to say or do next. Hell, this was the Headmaster he had in front of him now.

Trying to cover his turmoil, he opened his mouth and asked. "Will you be telling anyone what you saw in my memories?" Knowing after he asked the question how important for him it was to know if he can trust this Albus with his secrets like he had trusted his Headmaster.

Watching Harry quietly for a few seconds more, Albus answered. "If that is not what you want, then your memories are safe with me. But I might suggest that you open up about your life a little." With a nod toward Harry, Albus continued. "I might not know you that well yet, but I venture to say that you seem to be a very private sort of person. It is all well and good, but to be able to get along with people here you'll need to trust them yourself so they'll be able to trust you back."

With that piece of advice given, Albus nodded toward the book and said. "I'll leave the book in your safe hands. I hope you find it as good a read as I did. I believe you know your way around this house, if your memories and that tunnel that none of us knew about is any evidence, so you'll be able to get back to your room. And now, if you don't need anything else, I'll bid you goodnight."

With a nod at a quiet Harry, Albus headed toward the kitchen door, hearing Harry murmur a quiet goodnight as he left the kitchen on his way to the living room.

'This night sure had been eventful, I believe I deserve a cup of hot chocolate for dealing with it so well,' was Albus's last thought as he flooed away, leaving a frustrated and tired young man behind.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"I see you made yourself at home."

Sirius was back, great! Harry and his dead Godfather living together. If this night wasn't messed up as it is, this situation just made it perfect.

"Yes." Was all he said, not looking up from the cup of tea he had just finished checking for any kind of poison or potion, even though he had made it fresh himself after Albus had left. You never know. Mad-Eye was known to smear poison in specific cups to dry and be effective when some drink was placed in them. It doesn't cost anything to be extra careful.

A snort was all the reply he got. It seemed Sirius was still the same even in a different Universe where he evidently didn't have a long stay in Azkaban. He still couldn't handle being ignored well, was Harry's amused thought.

Sirius settled in the chair opposite him. Harry knew that he wasn't one to give up easily, so he wasn't surprised when Sirius found another question to ask. "Do you want me to show you back to your room?"

Looking up from his cup for a fleeting look at Sirius, he answered with a no before looking back down again. You could always count on the steam from a cup of tea to clear your thoughts and help you focus on what to do next.

He heard a shuffle. Sirius was not able to sit still, not comfortable with the silence. He probably wanted to shoot question after question at him. It was weird that he hadn't done so already, unless someone cautioned him not to. That was probably it, Sirius wasn't known as a self contained kind of personality.

"Are you going to keep staring at your tea cup like that?" Was the exasperated question when Sirius saw that none of his sarcastic comments were getting him anywhere with the young man in front of him.

"Yes." The brief answer came again.

"You're an entertaining kind of person aren't you?" Sirius said with a snort of disgust.

"I am actually," was Harry's amused reply.

"Ahhh he speaks!" Sirius said triumphantly. "So you do know you are my godson don't you?"

When he received no reply, Sirius said, "What? Am I a bad godfather or something that you can't even look at me?" Was the half joking, half serious question.

"Actually my godfather was the best." Harry didn't wait for Sirius's reaction before he stood up and with a clipped "Night" he left. Not able to take more questions or conversation. He needed to rest so he'd be able to review his situation in the morning.

Leaving the kitchen, and not looking back, Harry missed seeing Sirius's shocked expression, or hearing his murmur of "Was?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**Author Note**- ok so I got this review which I agree with, and as a consequence I won't be posting replies to reviews here anymore. It makes the word count seems more than it is I don't think I'll be replying to reviews unless there are questions asked I guess.

Sooo thanks to _**all**_ the Reviewers for taking the time to review. I think I'll be adopting a suggestion made in one of the reviews in the next chapter. I actually started writing chapter nine before finishing this chapter, I have the idea of what's gonna happen in these two chapters decided it just needs writing. I'm trying to lower the angst thing hope it worked a bit in this chapter.

also I should say that the reviews I got made me see how important reviews are to authors so I've become a constant reviewer myself progress for me as a reader

And as is my usual sentence- I do hope you enjoy


	10. The Godfather

**The Mirror of Possibilities**

**Chapter nine**

"The Godfather"

The first day was the hardest. Admitting that, as strange as it may be, he was in an alternative universe made him think of the future. What next? Harry decided while lying down staring at the old dirty ceiling in the bedroom that he woke up in that he would start looking for a way back home. It was the only way he could deal with this new, unheard of situation. It was the only thing he could think about to do next. He had to research a way back home.

As a consequence, Sirius found Harry sequestered in the Black library with books scattered around him in messy piles that first day. It was the start of Harry's stay in this new strange world. But it seemed Sirius didn't agree with the research decision Harry had come to.

It started with Sirius attempting to form a connection with his godson, but ended with a harsh "not interested" and Harry ignoring him and any farther attempts at conversation. He went back to reading in the library where he stayed till late at night regrouping and researching. After all research meant research, it did not mean that he should or had to get to know the people here.

The second day was a new day, with anew plan apparently. Sirius decided not to be interested either and left him be with a glare and an indifferent facade when Harry got his morning coffee. Trying to guilt him into talking to him, Harry was sure. But strangely enough, he didn't care much. Harry returned the indifference without difficulty. After all, Sirius kept his distance and it was easy to win when you didn't have to face the challenge of a glare during the long day.

The next few days passed the same as the second. It started with a morning glare from Sirius, and continued with both of them ignoring the tension whenever they met during the day. But a new development occurred, Sirius started sitting around in the library with him, each time with a different book, not talking, just being around. Absolutely annoying. But as far as Harry was concerned, that was a big difference!

Before he knew it a week had passed. A week where he and the Black library got to know each other more and more each day. If it wasn't for the situation he was in, Harry would say that Hermione would've been proud of how dedicated he was to his studying.

The end of the first week brought another change in the now usual routine between him and Sirius. Sirius gave up on his glare and the entire patiently annoying plan, and was now into "being close to your target and poking at him will wear him down" strategy.

The day started with the usual silence that Harry had gotten used to this whole week. No one but he and Sirius lived in the house, and it seemed to have become a deserted land as no one visited them during the whole week. Of course with both of them not talking, it meant that the house was as quiet as a grave.

Harry was sitting behind the antique wood desk in the Black library with a cup of hot coffee and books around him as was his habit while he continued his research. Sirius sat across from him, lounging in a comfortable chair that he had conjured from a rickety worn wood seat, supposedly reading a defense book. Harry knew better than that though, Sirius probably had a Quidditch magazine hidden behind it. The book was for Harry's benefit, to show him that Sirius could also sit for hours and study. It was a game of upmanship.

Sitting together in silence, each concentrating on his book was the usual routine for them, but today Sirius seemed more interested in looking at Harry and his books, he even approached him several times, taking a look at some of his books and notes. Harry continued to ignore him. After all, he was good at that; he had years of ignoring active taunting from the Slytherins, and Sirius had nothing on them. Of course none of them was his dead godfather, but still.

Letting out a deep sigh, he blinked and turned the page on the book he was reading today, a book on magical theory, after all if he had traveled to an alternative world it would make sense that such magic would be mentioned as a possibility, maybe even researched a little. It should. But he found nothing to suggest it had been done! And it'd been a week.

The book he had kept after Albus left was helpful but it only gave the basics, hardly enough to help him understand the process of how the mirror was created. Also the writer managed to forget to explain how he made it back to his own world, Universe or whatever you want to call it. You'd think that any reasonable person would think that was important enough to mention.

He had researched, read, and wrote. Now he was leafing through his notes and he felt like it had all been for nothing. He'd gotten nowhere, and it didn't help that he wasn't getting much help from Albus. Other than one brief firecall where Albus had asked after his health and if he had made progress in his research, the esteemed headmaster hadn't shown himself again. Ofcourse his suggestion that Harry should take the time to look around and talk to the people around him only annoyed him further. The only person around him was Sirius.

Did the memory Albus see the reason for that? Was Sirius here to get close to him, to get information from him, or was he getting as paranoid as Ron had accused him of becoming.

Anyhow, even if there was no ulterior motive, he knew enough about his own godfather and had no need for any childlike fantasy of a reunion. And as childish as it may sound, even in his own head, he didn't want to get to know these people or his godfather. They weren't real! Not real in his mind or for his feelings. You can't replace what you knew and lost, it didn't work that way! Life doesn't work that way. Every grown up knew that, and if anything, he was a grown up.

Being in the same room and being watched was disturbing, but he knew how to play this game. Sirius wanted him to talk to him and he wanted to ignore him, well then, thought Harry sarcastically, let the tension filled silence begin! If he thinks I'll break first then let him, He snorted, then checked himself, he wasn't supposed to give Sirius an opening to ask questions and any sound might give Sirius the opening to do so.

"Anything interesting that I should know about?"

Damn. Sirius took the snort as an opening to start talking, Harry thought with an annoyed twist of his mouth, too arrogant that's your problem, Potter.

Harry looked up and gave Sirius one of his trademark blank faced expressions with a raised eyebrow before turning quietly back to his book. This look had become something of a challenge to Sirius. After all, when every one of his occasional questions were ignored with only that look as acknowledgment, Sirius had decided it was time to become as annoying as possible. It started with him hanging around in the library and making sounds while reading like he actually read something of interest, probably just wanting to see Harry start whenever Sirius made a sound. That was another grievance that Harry had; the starts weren't going away. Whenever he got too deep into his reading and studying Sirius would make one of his "hmms" or laugh or even just clear his throat and Harry would jump like someone had physically poked him. It was as absolutely annoying as only Sirius knew how to be. It was also annoying on another private level, for he could admit to himself that he wouldn't be so on edge if it was any one else here with him in the library. Or even in the house.

Still, a week had passed and nothing changed. Harry still managed not to give much reaction. But today, Sirius wasn't giving up as easily as before, not with just one look. So after receiving the blank face from Harry, he continued casually talking like they talked all the time.

"So do you know what day it is today?"

So today was the day for another change in the let's annoy Harry plan. Great!

"No. Do you know what day it is today?" was his sarcastic reply.

The reply he got was unusually chipper. "It's Monday."

Okay! He was missing something. Sirius was playing it secretive and it wasn't like him; he was as blunt as blunt can be.

Not raising his head from the book he was reading Harry replied with a bland "nice for you". Maybe that'll end this ridiculous conversation.

"You're not gonna ask why I think this Monday is important?" Was the casual though, Harry detected, gleeful reply.

"Do you want me to ask?" Let's see how long he'll suffer my indifferent replies was Harry's amused thought. And it was amused because as much as he wanted to ignore the resemblance, this Sirius had some of his godfather's most endearing traits. Being annoying wasn't one of them, but thinking that he was playing it secretive was. So as much as Harry knew he should just ignore him and stop replying, he found himself playing along. What harm would it do?

"No, I mean yes." Sirius frowned thoughtfully, then with a shake of his head he grinned and sing songed. "It's the thirty first of July, Monday"

Harry froze. Oh hell! His head had gotten so messed up with the last week's events that he forgot his own birthday. He was nineteen years old!

Thinking Harry was not replying because he was in too much shock that he remembered his birthday, Sirius grinned, jumped up from his chair and walked, with what was supposed be a casual walk, to approach Harry with a triumphant smile. "Not to worry I didn't forget your birthday." Then he added with a mock frown, "Even though you've been so unpleasant to me this week, but I forgive you. Albus said you were probably too weirded out from being here and all."

With that little speech he looked at Harry expectantly, like he expected an apology Harry thought feeling numb. Then anger came to his rescue. So Albus gave excuses for his behavior to Sirius. This meant he was right, Albus wanted Sirius to get closer to him, probably for good intentions as well as self serving ones. To give me a familiar face, a face that Albus thought Harry would know and care about from his own world. But on the other hand, it wouldn't be too bad for Albus and the order to know more about their "intruder" and his world.

Albus was too curious for his own good. Like recognizes like, Harry thought heavily. He couldn't get too angry at the old Headmaster; he had too many fond memories of him and his interferences to look at them like they were meant simply as intrusions on his privacy.

Harry had stayed quiet too long for Sirius. When Harry looked up he was met with a grin. "Of course we weren't so sure what to do about your special day," Sirius chuckled with glee ignoring Harry's silence after his last statement. "So after consulting Albus, it was decided to do a little dinner gathering where everyone can meet you. Officially that is." With that he waited expectantly for a reply or a reaction which didn't take long in coming.

"No."

Blinking at the rather abrupt reply,Sirius watched the boy he had come to know as cold and stubborn,flush with anger before he bent down back to his book trying to hidehis reaction to the news.

"No? No what?" Was Sirius's rather confused reply.

"No. No I am not interested in meeting any more of you people." It was time for him to make himself clear, Harry decided, so Sirius wouldn't go on thinking that he was this scared young man who needed his hand held. And he definitely didn't want him to think that Harry had any intention to get to know everyone and become a part of this place.

"Why not?" Sirius asked, sounding annoyed.

"Because, believe it or not, I have no intention of staying here long enough to get to know any more of you pleasant people. Meeting you and James has been more than enough. I am not part of this place nor do I have any intention of becoming part of it or of anyone's life. That said I should add something that apparently you have missed this whole week."Taking a deep breath and looking Sirius in the eyes Harry said slowly. "I am not 'weirded out' nor am I feeling lonely. I do not need company while I research. And no, as hard as it is to believe, I do not want to get to know you." Raising one eyebrow he watched Sirius's face darken with anger at every word, before adding, "Now is that understood or do I need to clarify it more?"

After a minute of silence where both of them stared at each other, Harry with his impassive face and Sirius with his face turned red with anger and frustration, Sirius said with a slow precise emphasize on his every word. "Tonight we're having a birthday gathering. You are invited."

When all the reaction he got was another raised eyebrow, Sirius exploded. "Whether you believe it or not, a lot of people want to meet you. The poor people that they are think of you as someone who might need help, a familiar face or a friendly word. Merlin knows I told Albus about you being a stubborn bastard, but it's out of my hands. If you want to come down for the gathering that some very nice people arranged and worked on you're welcome to. If not, then stay here alone with only books to keep you company for all I care."

"If you're done?" Harry said with not one emotion showing on his face, and turned back to his book not waiting for a reply, ignoring the seething man breathing heavily over his head.

With an inarticulate sound close to a low, frustrated scream, Sirius turned and left with a slamming of the library door.

Letting out a breath Harry wasn't aware that he was holding, he threw the book aside, and let his head drop into his hands. Damn it, was he wrong in distancing himself from everyone here? He didn't want to get to know them. It wasn't that he was being cold, as Sirius called him, it was basic self preservation. Why meet these people who he didn't need in his life, but he still might get attached to them now that they were there. It was a heartache that he didn't need. He lost enough family and people he cared about during the war, why would he put himself in a situation where the end was clear! He would be going back home, there was no question about that, but what of the people he started to care for here? They'd be worse than dead after he went back. There wouldn't even be a grave to visit.

A brother. Merlin! What would he do with him? Josh. With a snort Harry shook his head, was he being a coward? A coward who hid behind excuses of "I'm going lose them anyway so it's better not to care?" Or an excuse of "I don't need replacements anyway?" It was self preservation at its best. Was he becoming a Slytherin? That was the last horrific thought Harry had before he was interrupted again by a knock on the library door. It opened to show Albus smiling gently at him.

"Albus!" Harry abruptly exclaimed before he got a hold of himself. After all of that self exploring he just had, he needed to go back to his calm place, mentally speaking.

Albus smiled at him and nodded before closing the door behind him. With a "Harry" he walked toward him, conjured a comfy chair, and sat opposite him.

Harry waited, and watched Albus look at him with the smile he entered with that hadn't faded since. Clearing his throat, he asked the still quiet headmaster. "It ake it you had some progress with you own research, Headmaster, and that's why you're here?"

Albus's smile faded slowly, and he looked at Harry like he was examining an alien. Harry frowned back at him impatiently when the silence continued.

"Well? Did you?" He asked again impatiently. His cold mask had exploded to hell and back. He couldn't calm himself enough to reform his face back to its usual cold mask after his introspection. He was too upset. Damn.

The only reaction he got was Albus getting his soft smile back before saying "Why are you so upset?"

"I'm in an alternative universe, why the hell wouldn't I be upset?" Was his sarcastic reply.

"Indeed. But Sirius said you've been cold and unresponsive this whole week. I saw that when we last spoke. But now you seem upset, my boy. What has happened?"

Harry looked back at the calm, patient headmaster, and thought what had really happened? Was he this upset about being half Slytherin? Hardly, he had known that he was one for some time now. No, it was the fact that for the second time this week his safe bubble was about to explode. First by arriving to this place and now by this gathering where he had to face the fact that a week had passed and no progress had been made. A fear that maybe he wouldn't be going back, wouldn't be able to find a way back to Ginny, to his friends, his family, hell even to his job. It was home. He felt like everyone here wanted to get to know him because after a week nothing was certain, especially not him going back.

Harry's head dropped back into his hands. He could feel his hands shaking. He was dealing with a piece of reality he had stubbornly refused to face this whole week. Harry had acted like he was in limbo, a place he didn't need to get to know because he wouldn't be there long.

"Will I be going back home?" The confused, upset question was out of his mouth before his thoughts got arranged enough for him to consciously think about the question.

Hearing a sigh he looked up to see Albus looking at his hands, he was examining them like they were the most interesting thing there was in the room.

"Will I?" It was a fierce demand now.

"My boy …"

With a fierce shake of his head Harry set his angry eyes at Albus who was now meeting his eyes with a sad look. "No! A clear answer for once in your life Albus! Yes or no? Will we be able to find a way home?"

Looking at Harry closely now, Albus nodded slowly before speaking again. "Clear answer it is then. I do not know. I have looked through all of the books in my possession, but as of now, I have found no way to duplicate what has happened". With a tired sigh he added looking in to the stricken eyes looking back at him. "The mirror was the way you came to be here, but we have it no more. It was broken beyond repair. Even with magic it cannot be brought back to its former power. And by power, I mean the power to be a path between our world and other universes."

Albus rubbed his eyes tiredly and looked at Harry who was staring fixedly at the wall behind Albus, nothing showing on his face.

"So that's it? You're saying there is no other way to go back home?" Was Harry's stilted question.

"No, I'm saying we don't have the way back to your world, but your family might have a way to bring you back to them, if, and that's a very big if my boy, they find the mirror's counterpart in your world. Other than that, we will keep looking for additional ways back to your world other than the mirror"

Harry nodded, then shook his head to stop himself from nodding like a robot. He was in shock. His body felt cold and he couldn't manage to control his movements. They felt jerky. How in hell will his "family" as Albus called them find the mirror! They didn't even know he was in an alternative universe much less that the mirror was the way he got to be here.

"Ok," was his only reply. He couldn't handle a more complicated answer till he understood the implications of this conversation. But Albus seemed to understand as he sat opposite him with a sympathetic look.

After another period of silence, Albus broke it this time "will you be joining us this evening, my boy?"

He looked up at Albus, his head such a mush of questions and thoughts that he didn't understand what Albus meant. It took him a minute to get a hold of his thoughts. "My birthday gathering." Then he grimaced remembering the way he reacted to that gathering and with a sigh said, "I don't feel up to seeing people this evening Albus."

"I believe it would only do you good, Harry, to see some people from this place." When he got no reaction he added softly. "It's only a little gathering, and most of them are people you'll probably know from back home. They haven't been coming around because I asked them to give you some time to get used to the fact that you're here. They do need to come here from time to time though, and I thought it would be better to introduce you this way and not meet them randomly when you are by yourself."

Harry grimaced, because it was true. No one had come this whole week, and he hadn't appreciated that Albus might have had a hand in it. He had given him some time to come around to him being here, and not meet people who he knew, but weren't the same. Harry admitted that it might have freaked him out to see them during this week. He had still been in denial, but now he knew that whether he liked it or not, he was here and he had to make a place for himself until he went back. Yes, he knew what Albus had said, but he would find a way. His life had been one big impossibility after another, this will just have to be another one, and that's that.

Harry looked up from staring at the carpet, where his gaze had went while he was thinking things through, and said, "I'll come."

His reward was a big smile. "Great, great, my boy. I must admit I was afraid that I'd have to be the one to tell Molly that all her effort in making dinner will be for nothing as our guest of honor wouldn't be coming."

Harry smiled, but it turned into more of a grimace. Hey, he was trying at least.

Albus stood, and Harry mimicked him, walking with him to the library door. Albus looked at Harry questionably.

"I think I've had enough research. I'm going lie down for some time."

"You do look tired, Harry." Albus's replied quietly.

Harry looked back at him closely, and not for the first time he noticed how old Albus looked. Sure he was old, but his headmaster had always had his young spirit to make him look much younger. But this Albus just looked plain worn out, with more lines than Harry ever remembered his headmaster having. He replied honestly, "So do you, Albus. What happened to you?"

He hadn't meant to be offensive, he just reacted to what he saw, and he never held back with his headmaster so he didn't see a reason why he shouldn't be as honest with this one too. The only reaction he got was a slight tired smile and a murmur. "Life happened to me."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The commotion woke Harry up from his restless sleep. It was like a horde was racing through the house, but what was more disturbing were the eyes watching him from the edge of the bed.

"Kreacher! Merlin! What is it?" Then he blinked slowly. Oh wait, this wasn't his house elf, it was an alternative one! That would explain why Kreacher looked like this, like an older version of his own house elf. Harry looked at the bloodshot eyes staring at him and couldn't help but feel sorry for him, he couldn't see the rest of the elf's body as it was hidden by the bed he was lying on, but he remembered how bad he looked.

"Mudblood master d...d..didn't leave!" Was the wail from a mouth still hidden from view.

Harry grimaced. Okay, so this was like the old Kreacher with all of his old vocabulary. He couldn't blame the poor house elf. He had gone through enough in his life to excuse his language and behavior. Maybe Harry could help him again. But that brought another memory of how he helped him, using the locket, did that mean the locket …

Before he could finish his train of thought someone knocked on his bedroom door, and a freckled face peered from around it. Ron.

Harry looked at his alternative best friend's freckled face that was becoming redder with each second that they stared at each other quietly. Harry decided to help him out as Ron looked too freaked out to say anything.

"Yes, Ron?" Was his quiet, gentle question, but Ron reacted like someone had shot him. He was startled so badly that he knocked his head into the wall beside the door. Harry grimaced in sympathy, that must have hurt, but a pop made him startle in turn too. It was only Kreacher who left while he was being ignored by both of them.

Clearing his throat Ron said hurriedly, "I didn't mean to wake you, but Mum told me to tell you everyone is here and you should be there for your own party."

Ron sounded like he was quoting word for word what his Molly would've said. His friend didn't usually talk like that.

"Right. I'll be right there. Thanks."

With a nod, Ron turned, about to leave, when Harry recalled something. "Wait." When Ron turned around, surprised that he was called back, Harry added, "Who is everyone?"

"What?" Was Ron's confused question.

"Who is downstairs?" Harry clarified.

"Oh," Ron was looking more and more flustered while talking to him. "Everyone." Then realizing that Harry might not know who everyone was, he explained. "My parents, brothers and Ginny. Uncle Gideon and Uncle Fabian, Sirius of course, and the Potters." with that he glanced up at Harry fast then continued "Tonks, Auror Shacklebolt, the Longbottoms, Professor McGonagall, and the Headmaster too." Finished, he looked up at Harry with an expectant face.

"Well! Not a lot of people you mean?" Was Harry's sarcastic reply, but his hands had a fine tremble which he hid by clutching his wand. It helped ground him. He had faced Voldemort with less fear, was his furious thought. This shouldn't make him so damn nervous. But the thought of some of the people downstairs gave him the chills. And a thought kept playing in his head, the same people but not the same. It was important that he remember that.

Ron grinned at that. "Yea, sorry about that mate. It was supposed to be less people. The headmaster said that my family should come cause you knew us back in your, well you know your other place." He finished awkwardly.

Only Ron could call being from an alternative universe "His other place" and make it sound like he was this crazy person who had just came back to his senses. Harry shook his head with a weary smile, "Don't worry about it". Then he added, "Your uncles are here too!" He knew he was trying to postpone the moment he had to go downstairs, he could admit it, but he didn't care. It was a weird situation and he had the right to feel out of place and worried.

"Yea, the whole family," Ron said. "You knew us back home right? They're twins, my mum's brothers. Fred and George's mentors." He said the last with a disgusted face.

"Oh, I thought they looked up to the marauders." Harry said with a slight smile, but all he got was a shrug. "Hell if I know mate, they have enough ideas and pranks without mentors or people to look up to. I don't know how well you know them, but trust me, don't take anything they give you to eat." Ron cautioned. Then with a thoughtful look he added, "Maybe you shouldn't shake their hands either. You know what, maybe you should just stay away from them till you get to know them better."

Harry grinned, then laughed, a burst of surprised amused sound. "Yea I know, thanks though, for the warning."

"No problem. Well I'll see you downstairs I guess." With a last look at Harry, he turned and closed the door behind him.

Harry fell back on the bed with a sigh and smiled, well some things didn't change at least. With that he rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom to wash his face and get ready to face the masses, he thought amused. Amused beat worried or scared any day, and he was a Gryffindor after all. Scared wasn't in his vocabulary.

Maybe if he kept telling him self that he'll believe it, eventually.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**Author Note **– I got this review that said its been a month and I should post my new chapter so here it is. I sent it the day after I got that review to my beta and she made sure to correct all my run in sentences and punctuation even though she's busy with more serious stuff, like writing essays and preparing for her tests. So a big thank you for her :)

I actually removed the gathering scene at the end, my chapters are just too long! Next chapter will be intense; I just need to finish writing the second part of it, after the gathering. So be patient.

Meanwhile please read and tell me what you think.

A big thank you to all the reviewers, I had the longest and best reviews ever this last chapter, I hope to get more. Reviews make my life go round :D


	11. Happy Birthday Harry

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter ten**

"Happy Birthday Harry"

Standing outside the kitchen door, Harry listened to the hubbub and the sound of people talking and laughing. He felt disconnected, like he wasn't here trying to gather enough courage to go in. That's it, enough was enough, you deal with life, Potter, you don't hide behind books or doors, you don't hide from reality. And this was his new reality. At least, it was until he found a way to get home. With that last thought, he stood straight, threw his shoulders back, and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

Pushing the door open, Harry stood in the shadows by the doorway looking in. No one noticed him at first, so he got a chance to watch these familiar people stand in little gatherings talking. He saw Ron first, standing by the back wall, with his brothers and two older strangers with similar red hair and brown eyes. They looked like Molly: a bit on the short side but with thinner bodies, although one was a bit fuller than the other. Other than that, they looked almost identical. They were probably the uncles, the Prewetts.

_It took five Deatheaters to kill them._

It was like a long ago memory echoed in his head. Shaking his head he looked on, past the huddling redheaded Weasleys to Molly who was standing beside the kitchen counter cooking. Ginny, his heart gave an involuntary fast beat, was helping her, chopping something or another along with another redhead. Was there another Weasley? His gaze snapped back to Ginny, with her bent head concentrating on chopping vegetables. Her hair was even the same length as his Ginny, Harry thought with a deep ache in his chest. Her face was the same with that dimple to the right of her mouth. Forcing his gaze away from her, the only thought he had in his head was 'she's not the same', because she really wasn't the same. The air of how she moved, how she worked was different, even though her appearance wasn't. It was Ginny, but she just wasn't the same.

Albus was sitting on the kitchen table to his left, with his fellow professor and Shacklebolt. Kingsley's eyes met his for a second before going back to his conversation with Albus, not bringing notice to Harry's presence in the kitchen's entrance. It was an acknowledgement of how good an auror he was that he noticed him, even when Harry was still half hidden in the shadows quietly not bringing notice to himself. Along with that was his consideration, he was giving Harry time to look at and assimilate to the situation. He was seeing what his Minister would have done in this kind of situation.

Last was the gathering near the fireplace. The one he left till last, but was aware of since entering the kitchen. Josh, he remembered from last week, stood near the Longbottoms who looked healthy although a bit on the tired side, and he was glaring at his shoes for some reason that Harry couldn't see. Along with them stood a woman, a redhead, who was talking to the couple, but her eyes kept snapping around, nervous. Before he could continue his observations her eyes snapped to him and their identical green eyes met for a second, a very long second, until Harry blinked slowly and looked away.

"You decided to join the party then?" Sirius's voice came from behind and startled Harry badly. He turned around, his heart beating fast. He had been so engrossed looking at everyone in the kitchen that he had missed Sirius coming in behind him. That didn't usually happen. He normally had a sixth sense with these things. It just showed how overwhelmed he was with everything that was happening.

"Yes." His answer came a second after he collected himself. He was met with a good natured grin.

"Well great. Come on then, I'll make introductions." Sirius stepped from behind Harry bringing them more into the kitchen before he came in to stand beside Sirius. Turning back to the kitchen, Harry noticed that the conversation had stopped and everyone was staring at him. Blatantly this time. No more hiding. Damn he was getting too distracted and kept missing things around him. It was like life had become blinks of picture instead of one streaming movie. He was in shock. He had known that he was going to meet these people, but everything in theory was so much simpler.

"Everyone this is Harry, my roommate in this horrendous dump of a house," That was a very nice introduction, Sirius, Harry thought sarcastically. He actually liked this house. Not like this, but the way it became after his redecoration, when he made it his own. His home.

"- and I don't know if you know these esteemed people, so I'll introduce you."

"I know most of them." Harry interrupted softly. He wasn't in the mood to be introduced to people he knew, by name at least.

"Oh" Sirius looked disconcerted by his interruption, but quickly recovered. "So who don't you know?"

After a quick look around, Harry concentrated on the Prewett brothers. "I take it you're Gideon and Fabian Prewett?" He didn't need introductions, he could introduce himself. Especially when supposedly dead people were introducing each other.

The brothers looked at each other, and then grinned at him; identical grins that made Harry see where the Weasley twins got not only their smiles, but their mischief. The taller of the redheaded brothers answered him. "Yes, that's us. I'm Fabian, and this fine man beside me is my twin, Gideon. Nice to meet you." He walked forward and extended his hand to Harry.

Carefully, Harry took his hand and shook it, but before he could take his hand back, Fabian's grip got firmer. He was looking intently at the arm that he was still holding. Looking at what the man was staring at, Harry noticed that his watch was showing. It was a gold watch that he almost always wore, a present from Molly on his seventeenth birthday, his coming of age*.

"Hey! That's my watch!" Fabian let go of Harry's hand and lifted his left hand to show his own watch on his arm. Harry winced inwardly. He knew that it was the same watch with even the same dent in it. Molly had told him when she gave him this watch as a present that it had belonged to her deceased brother and used to be one of his most prized possessions. And as such, Harry took extra care of it, and always had it on his arm. It was a sign of being part of the Weasley family, and he cherished it.

"Yes, I believe this used to be your counterpart's." was Harry's quiet, careful reply, watching Fabian's twin, Gideon, walk toward them to see said watch, while Sirius looked on in confusion at what was happening.

"Why do you have his watch? Can't you afford one of your own?" was the idiotic question asked by his usually smart godfather. Looking at Sirius with a raised eyebrow, incredulity evident on his face, Sirius flushed. "Well then, why are you wearing his watch?"

"I got it as a present." was Harry's brief answer before he added exasperated. "Does it really matter?"

"No it doesn't," was the firm answer coming from Molly, who walked forward toward him pushing her brothers till they were standing behind her, eyeing him suspiciously now that he refused to answer why he had it.

"Hello dear, and happy birthday." Molly smiled at him, glancing briefly at the watch before she turned to Sirius. "We are supposed to sit in the living room, we just need to move the food there. If you could call Kreacher to help"

Smiling again at Harry, she turned to everyone and said loudly "Why don't we all move to the living room now that the introductions are over?"

"A very sound idea, Molly." Albus said, smiling back at her, ignoring Tonks's mutter of "But no one got introduced." Moving past Harry and out of the kitchen, he said softly "Happy birthday, my boy." He left the kitchen with Professor McGonagall after him. She nodded at him with thin pursed lips before trailing after the headmaster. Shacklebolt followed, still watching him from the corner of his eyes. No happy birthday from him, he was too suspicious of him, was Harry's exasperated thought. He may have been considerate before, but he shouldn't expect more from him.

"Kreacheeeeer." Harry was startled by the loud call from right behind him. Looking away from the people leaving the kitchen he turned in time to see Kreacher appearing with a pop right in front of Sirius and him. Sirius looked at him with a disgusted expression before asking Molly "Are you sure you want this dirty… thing to help move the food?"

"Yes, Sirius." The answer was accompanied with a pointed glare.

With a sigh he turned to Kreacher who had been muttering obscenities under his breath while looking at them.

"Kreacher!" Sirius snarled at him stopping his mutterings for a second. "Help Molly move the food to the living room, make sure you don't touch it with your dirty hands, and don't spill anything. Then go back upstairs." Sirius commanded the house elf, trying to be as specific as possible with his orders to make sure Kreacher wouldn't make any trouble.

"The blood traitor wants Kreacher to help his friends. Blood traitors and mudbloods. Oh if mistress hears how Kreacher must help them. If mistress knew how much filth is in the most sacred of the Black house." The house elf kept muttering, ignoring Sirius's thunderous expression while he went to move the food where Molly stood arranging everything with help of the few members left in there.

"Shut up you mongrel. Work silently or I'll have you punish yourself." Sirius said in a low threatening voice. He looked at Kreacher with such hateful eyes that Harry had to take a deep breath to stop himself from interfering. But he couldn't stop the memories of his own godfather's treatment to Kreacher. Anger flared through him so suddenly that he had to look away, and move out of the kitchen before he did or said something that he might regret.

Walking out of the kitchen, Harry walked past the opposite door into the living room where mostly everyone was already seated or standing in groups. He walked to the window overlooking the road, and tried to breathe easier, get rid of the anger, to calm down. Meditate.

"Hi." Harry felt him before the greeting, so he wasn't so startled this time with the interruption. Not looking at him he answered. "I see James has decided not to come."

"Oh, Dad," Joshua stumbled on his answer. Of all the things he thought he and his brother would talk about first, his dad wasn't it. "He was busy. Like always."

Joshua didn't know if he should explain further. Should he tell him about the fights the various members of the Potter household had been having between each other? Even his mum and dad, the most together couple, who always supported each other in all things, were now giving each other the silent treatment. They disagreed about Harry, about this party. But surprisingly, his mum won the argument of whether they could come or not. It was a surprise because his mum usually went along with what his dad said, but this time it was different. What a difference, and what a time to make it. Fran was nervous about meeting him, but Joshua was pleased, he got to meet him and he knew they would have so much in common. It would be like they knew each other their whole lives.

A bad start it was, though, talking about his dad and how stubborn he was being, but no matter: he'd fixit with honesty, Joshua decided.

"Dad thinks you're an imposter. It's been an upheaval in our house this week. Dad had one of his fits and grounded us, me and Fran that is, wouldn't even let me practice my Quidditch moves." He continued with a sniff. "But it doesn't matter, Mum won in the end. Which is a surprise I tell you 'cuz Mum usually doesn't fight with Dad over things, but you should have heard them go at it. They thought we couldn't hear them of course, but the twins gave me this new invention, extendable ears and we, me and Fran, my sister, our sister, used them." He took a breath before continuing. "You should too! Fran is Mum's pet so she didn't want to listen at first but I talked her into it, but …"

Harry had turned to look at him at the beginning of his speech, but now he was left blinking at him. Wow, talk about too much info. He watched the redhead talk and couldn't help thinking if he should suggest a truce, Joshua seemed determined to kill him with talk.

"Joshua," a soft feminine voice interrupted. "That's enough."

Silence. You never appreciate it till you felt its lack. Harry turned and met those green eyes again. He gave a slow blink and saw the face and dark red hair. She was beautiful, an older version of the woman he saw in those photos he had, his mother.

"I didn't do anything. We were just talking." Joshua gave her the stubborn answer.

"Yes, I noticed. Why don't you go get some food? You haven't filled your plate yet." Lily quietly answered.

"But …"

"Go, Joshua." Was the firm interruption. Joshua turned and left without another word, while Harry watched him go. He was reluctant to turn to her. Where did all your courage go now, Potter?

Turning slowly, he met her eyes for the second time that night. She was watching him carefully, when she noticed him watching her, she smiled slightly, and extended a hand with a full plate in it.

"I brought you some food. I noticed that you were a bit overwhelmed with everyone here." Harry looked at the food offered to him and accepted it with a thank you nod. He stared at the plate like it was the most interesting thing in the world before saying aloud. "You don't have a plate for yourself?"

"I'll get one." She answered after a moment of silence, while they looked at each other periodically, avoiding eye contact. "I'm sorry." When Harry blinked confused at her apology she explained. "About Joshua, he can be a little overwhelming to people who don't know him, but he has a good heart"

Giving a nod, not wanting to give his first impression that the boy seemed to be spoiled, he changed the subject. "So you're missing a family member aren't you?"

"Oh yes, James had work so he couldn't make it for your birthday." She answered, her face turning pinkish with her explanation, but Harry shook his head. "No, I meant the other me." He said with a slight smile trying to defuse the tension surrounding them. But that didn't do it, as Lily with the mention of his counterpart gave a small jerk as if someone hit her. Looking at her down bent head for a second of silence, he coughed awkwardly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be intrusive. Don't…"

"…No, no it's not that." She interrupted him and finally looked up, her face now as red as her hair. "Harry, my son he died a long time ago." Silence. "When he was very young." She finished with a slight pause at the word 'young'.

Harry blinked once. And then he blinked again. Ok, that was unexpected, but it shouldn't have been. It might explain why his other worldly parents were so disturbed by his arrival.

Lily stayed quiet. Harry knew he should be the one to break the silence, but he couldn't think of anything to do or say. He was about to apologize for asking at all when she spoke again, awkwardly, without looking him in the eyes. "You need to eat, I'll leave you to eat." Then she half turned to go, but hesitated before turning back. "I was wondering if it'll bother you if we visited you here from time to time?" With that question she looked at him in the eye directly.

"No. Of course not." Harry answered feeling awkward. Out of place. Or should he say _more_ out of place.

Smiling softly at him, she turned, catching Joshua's arm in his bid to walk back to Harry, and taking him with her to the other side of the room where the stranger redhead was looking at him. Their eyes met for a second before she became as red as her hair, and ducked her head away. Harry sighed; this was too awkward to be comfortable with, not only for him, but for everyone.

Lesson number one, Potter: in this new bizarre world, never ask a question unless you feel comfortable with what the answer might be. And maybe lesson number two should be know who you ask. Damn, damn and triple damn.

Well at least James didn't come. He wasn't offended by that even though Lily and Joshua seemed to think he was. He was actually more relieved. Harry didn't need the aggravation of fighting with him in addition to meeting this many people. It was a difficult enough situation.

Surveying the other occupants of the living room door, he thought of leaving. Everyone seemed determined to give him space, to wait for him to approach them. He could feel their glances burning him, especially when Lily was talking to him. Catching sight of Sirius by the doorway talking to Kreacher, his eyes narrowed, and his feet started walking there before he thought actively about it, leaving his plate on his way there.

"… not allowed to keep it. And if I catch you stealing it again, I'll have you locked away. Do I make myself clear? Now give it to me." He heard Sirius hiss at the house-elf as he neared them. Standing behind Sirius, Harry got a glimpse of what Kreacher was trying to hide in the filthy torn cloth that was his only covering.

He stopped breathing, feeling shock snake through him like a blow, ending only when he took a deep breath that sounded more like a gasp, with his heart pounding fast, out of rhythm.

Earlier he had thought about its existence, but now it was there in front of him. It made things more real, different.

"Give it to me."

He didn't realize that he was the one who said it until he saw Sirius looking over his shoulder at him. Sirius opened his mouth probably wanting to ask Harry what he was playing at but he was interrupted by Kreacher's scream of horror.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

Sirius and Harry broke eye contact, both startled by the screaming house-elf. They turned to look at Kreacher who was by now banging his head on the floor by the door, before he turned and grabbed the door edge and started banging his head into the wall. Harry heard several questions and exclamations of what's and why's, but he was too focused on what Kreacher held in his hand. He wanted to hold it, to make sure it was real.

It was a locket. A heavy gold locket. But what drew Harry's gaze like a magnet was the letter engraved on it. It was the serpentine _S_ in glittery greenstone inlay on the front of it**.

It was Salazar Slytherin's locket. The only problem was it hadn't been destroyed.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Kreacher, enough!" Sirius finally shouted. "Stop screaming. Shut up!" The screaming ended abruptly, leaving behind a horrible echoing silence. Everyone stood still for a minute, probably waiting for explanations, but Harry was too engrossed in his thoughts to give them.

"Is everything alright my boy?" The calm voice came from behind him.

"Yes." "No." Two voices spoke at once. Looking to his left, Harry found Sirius with a frustrated look pointed at him. "It's not alright, Kreacher has finally snapped." With a disgusted sound he turned to said house elf who had stopped banging his head when Sirius shouted at him, but now had resumed doing so.

"I'm sure he hasn't snapped, Sirius. Kreacher stop hurting yourself." Harry snapped, still irritate with Sirius for his treatment of Kreacher in the kitchen. "Are you alright?" He tried for calm and soothing when he turned to Kreacher.

Kreacher stopped banging his head as Harry ordered, but now instead of answering he stood before them, bloodshed eyes wide and fearful. He looked almost panicked, but he wasn't answering.

Frowning Harry asked again. "Kreacher, answer! Are you alright? Why were you screaming?"

Kreacher's face blotted red with effort, like he was fighting his own voice Harry thought bemused. When he finally spoke some seconds later, he sounded choked, like his voice was coming out with effort. "Master said shut up."

"Then why the hell are you talking?"

"Sirius." The reprimand came from behind them. "No need to curse."

"But it's not supposed to be possible for a house elf to defy his master, right?"

Harry suspected that the rather concerned statement was given by one of the Prewett brothers. With that statement, Harry felt his brows knot together with thought. Oh, of course, Harry blinked when the answer came to him. Not turning to the crowd behind them, Harry glared at the ground not looking up from it until he had a handle on his anger. He knew why Kreacher was answering his questions: he had two masters. How did he miss it? He remembered Kreacher's babbles about two masters when he first woke up. At the time he didn't make the connection, he had been too confused with what was going on around him then and since, but now everything just fell into place.

"Kreacher who is you master?" asked the headmaster quietly. Apparently the headmaster didn't need Kreacher's babbles like Harry did to get to the same conclusion. Well, he never said he had the experience or even the headmasters intelligence.

Apparently Kreacher didn't have to answer that question as he just kept staring at him and Sirius both like he was seeing demons. He didn't even glance at the headmaster who was standing behind them with the rest of the gathering.

"Kreacher, answer Albus's question now."

"Kreacher has mudblood master and blood traitor master. Kreacher not know who to answer. Who is more master?" the answer was given briefly with a franticness that made Harry wince with sympathy.

"Two masters." The astonished voice of Lily came from right behind him. He hadn't felt her approach, he thought as his back stiffened defensively.

"Who the hell else is your other master? Bellatrix? Narcissa? Who the hell is it you damn maniac?" Sirius's angry voice snapped Harry back to the situation at hand.

"Sirius," came the reprimand again.

But Sirius seemed oblivious in his anger, and he wasn't the only one. The people who till now were quiet were stirring, murmuring in worry. Harry could even taste the fear in their voices. The Locket was still not destroyed. Voldemort's not dead? This place was still in war? Thoughts and conclusions ran riot in his head. As he assimilated to the situation, Harry felt more lost than ever. He didn't feel up to calming their nerves when his were shot.

"Kreacher has blood traitor master Sirius, and master mudblood. Him." Kreacher looked directly at Harry with crazed eyes and a shaking finger pointed directly at his chest.

Harry could feel the eyes drilling a hole in his back, the amazement and surprise, the suspicion and ofcourse the questions not being asked. Yet.

"Why would Kreacher think you're his master too?" The soft question came from an unexpected source. Ginny.

"That's a very good question. Is there anything you forgot to tell us?" Came the unmistakable suspicious voice of Shacklebolt.

Taking a deep breath, Harry turned with his face cold and composed, one eyebrow raised expectantly. He had faced suspicious crowds before so he had the face for it. From beside him, he heard a groan as Sirius got a glimpse of the face he's been getting from Harry all week long. Ignoring him, Harry turned to his birthday gathering, a gathering that couldn't go more wrong even if they tried.

"Why would you think I would know the answer to that, Kingsley?" He asked with a sarcastic edge to his voice, probably raising the man's suspicions even more toward him.

"Maybe the fact that you weren't surprised when he said you were his master too was a hint. Don't you think?" The gravelly voice was cutting and sarcastic, coming from his right.

"Ahhh. A better question would be why are you even here, Kingsley? You're not family, I didn't even mention that I knew you back home, so why are you here? To celebrate my birthday?" Being sarcastic back always annoys your opponent.

Staring at each other, Shacklebolt didn't answer immediately. He just gave that cold, deep penetrating look before he said with no infliction to his voice. "James thought that we should keep an eye on things here."

"James? As in James Potter?" Harry gave an abrupt laugh, nothing amused in it. It was a sound of surprise. And he wasn't the only one surprised.

"James asked you to come here and keep an eye on Harry? Or did he send you to spy for him and tell him what happens?" Came the fierce, angry voice of Lily.

It made Harry blink in surprise. He would've thought James would want to make sure Harry didn't hurt his family, not to get info on him, like he was interested. If he was interested he could have come to this gathering after all.

It was Tonks that answered this time, carefully from Harry's left. "Sorry, Lily, nothing personal, he's our boss. He says jump, we jump. You know how it is."

"No, I don't. This isn't Auror business, Tonks. It's family and maybe even Order business. He had no right to ask you to come and spy, and you didn't need to do as he said."

Harry's ears perked up to attention at the mention of 'Order business' and he felt Kingsley's knowing glare. He noticed Harry noticing the mention of the Order.

"He's our friend too, Lily, not just our boss. He was worried and we agreed to help keep an eye on things, that's all." Kingsley spoke again. Harry looked back to his right, where the man stood.

"And I didn't want to say no when it was such an easy request, and it meant so much to him." Tonks added. Left to her again.

His head felt like a ping-pong ball, right to Kingsley then left to Tonks, all to keep up with this weird conversation.

Before Lily could answer with another angry retort, Albus intervened. "I believe this gathering has turned from a celebration to a fight without us noticing. Why don't we all calm down. I believe Molly has a cake waiting for us with tea."

"Yes, yes why don't I bring the cake?" Molly said flustered. She left her barely eaten plate on the table and went to the living room door, where Harry and Sirius were standing with Kreacher blocking the exit.

"Sirius could you have Kreacher tidy here while I bring the cake?" Molly said as she stood before Sirius, waiting for him to move so she could leave the living room.

"Maybe you should ask Harry to tell him that." The half whispered sentence was from where the Weasleys were gathered, before giggles could be heard. Molly turned with a glare ready for them.

"Speaking of that," Albus again. "Why are you considered his master too, Harry?" No my boy this time, Harry noticed.

With a sigh, Harry turned to Albus, keeping half an eye on Kreacher who was crawling slowly out from the doorway of the living room. "I have some idea why." Then he turned to Kreacher before he disappeared with the locket. "Kreacher go upstairs to my room, now, and stay there till I tell you otherwise." He said firmly.

The house elf, taking advantage that Sirius hadn't said anything else about the locket still in his hand, left with pop, while Harry gave an inward sigh of relief, he could check out the locket later without the audience. He ignored Sirius's annoyed scowl, after all he did just send Kreacher away while Sirius was trying to take the locket from him.

"Harry? You said you had an idea why he answers your commands?" Albus said turning them back to his previous question.

"Yes, I did." Then looking around, everyone was watching them talk, even Molly who hadn't been able to leave while they blocked the exit. She was hovering beside them, waiting. "I happen to be Kreacher's master back home."

"You and not Sirius."

Before Harry could formulate an answer he heard Sirius say quietly. "I'm dead in his world."

Harry felt his gut clinch with that simple statement, and again before he could think of an appropriate reaction Albus asked the question on his mind too. "How do you know that, Sirius?" He sounded puzzled, and Harry knew why. After all, Sirius had apparently told Albus that Harry had been ignoring him all week, not talking or reacting to him so how did Sirius know that, Harry wanted to know too, and being talked around was a way to hear the answer.

"Harry told me."

What! No he didn't. Before he could say so aloud, Sirius explained. "He said his godfather 'was' the best." Looking at Harry now, Sirius continued. "Past tense. I am dead right?"

"Not you. My godfather." Harry answered reluctantly. He did not want to talk about his world, his friends and family, to people who looked like them, but were strangers. He was a private person, believe it or not. He might be a celebrity with his life laid out on paper every day, but when he could, he kept everything relevant to him and his family private.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure it's difficult for you to talk about this. You must have lost him recently." Albus said, and he would know after seeing his memory.

"Yes," he answered abruptly. He didn't feel the need to elaborate that it has been several years, fours years to be exact, after all for him it felt like it did happen recently.

"What about the rest of us then? Are any of us dead?"

Looking into the room, Harry found Ron's face looking earnest, staring at him after asking his question. Out of everyone standing in this room, Ron was the last person Harry thought would ask him this question.

"Yes." He did not want to elaborate and he wouldn't.

"Who?" Josh seemed to find his voice at last. "Is it me?"

Harry winced. Damn this is getting from bad to worse. Ignoring the question he said. "It was a nice evening. Molly thanks for the wonderful dinner. If you'll excuse me."

He turned to leave, distantly hearing Molly say "Oh, but you didn't even eat!" and Lily's "But there's cake!" Ignoring them, he turned and walked out fast. He didn't care that he was being rude, he had had enough.

Harry didn't look back, even when he heard them resume talking. Probably about him. Hell, he knew this was a bad idea, what was he thinking agreeing to this gathering anyway?

Walking up the stairs, all he could think of right now was what was waiting for him in his room. Not Kreacher, but the locket. He should've spent some time on research. He should've read more of the history of this place. It's been a week, and he knew next to nothing. Nothing of any of these people. And nothing of the war and Voldemort. Who could he trust? Anyone? Maybe just Dumbledore, he always was trustworthy after all.

It was a new place with new rules, and there was no time for him to regain control of his life slowly the way he had been doing this whole week. The way things were going, all he needed and could do right now was to make sure he faced the problems coming his way with knowledge. And one thing he knew for sure, if there was a Voldemort here, then trouble would be coming. His way most probably.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

***** I looked up whether the watch was a pocket watch or a wrist watch but couldn't decide which of them it was. So for the purpose of this story it's a wrist watch. If it's not then Harry made it into a wrist watch (hey he was muggle raised after all).

****** The Locket description was taken from OotP

**Author Note**- Happy new years everyone hope this year brings only happiness and joy to you :) I had this gathering thing prepared but I have rewritten it so now its so different from the one I had written for chapter nine. I made it more eventful, so I hope the change made it better.

Also i know everyone looked forward to a James-Harry confrontation but it just doesn't go with the personality I had for james. things will have to be worked out between two personalities as similar as James's and Harry's. So progress will be made but don't expect it to be fast.

Some important comments- **Spyridon** I don't know if you noticed but I liked your the locket idea so much, that I took it and made it the reason Harry becomes interested in the history and this other world. So thanks :) And, **ladylaughalot **- i read the story you recommended, thanks i do like reading AU stories. it also has some similarities to mine, Aaron for example is as spoiled as Joshua. I liked it but i hate the suicidal/Harry bit. **Nosi** here is the curiosity or the fear of this new world start to kick in :) I do like the idea of kreacher knowing more than they give him credit for, I'd like to bring that into my story if you don't mind.

Thanks for the reviews and idea's, you have no idea how I appreciate them. Please tell me what you think, I always look forward to your reviews, even if it's a one word review. Sooo review, review, review cause it makes me feel good :D


	12. Moving On

**The Mirror ofpossibilities**

**Chapter eleven**

"Moving On"

Harry woke with a headache for the second time that week. Turning over he groaned into his pillow. He was still half asleep so he could make believe that he was still in his home taking a nap. No training to wake up to. Just a day of relaxing for him and his favorite chair downstairs in the living room. Maybe it'll be a day that Kreacher would be at Hogwarts, and no Hermione and Ron flooing over with their lively arguments and loving looks. Just him and his sanctuary.

Crushing his face deeper into the pillow, he took a deep breath, and then consequently choked on the smell. Jerking away from the musty smell still clinging deep into the pillow, he rolled over and out of his bed, landing on his feet with a vicious thud in his head from his headache.

The heavy thud of something falling along with his pillow turned his head sharply back to the bed. It took him some time to recognize the locket.

After the tension and awkwardness of last night, he went to his room looking to answer another question he had about this place. Voldemort. It had been awkward, but he had achieved his purpose. He had the locket. until he had the means to destroy it, and it had to be destroyed as he was surer than ever that the Horcruxes still existed.

He only needed to touch the locket to feel the vile sense of unnatural, black magic surrounding it and pulling at him. But when Harry had entered his room last night he hadn't been prepared for the feelings that would emerge with this realization.

He had found Kreacher huddled between the closet to his right and the wall, in the corner trying to make himself into a small ball with only his eyes showing from the bundle of dirty cloth he called clothing. It had taken him a lot of time to convince him to leave his corner and to come talk to him. And even more time to hand in the locket to Harry. He didn't order it; he needed Kreacher's trust as long as he was In this house. After all no one knew this house as well as him.

Trying to reason with this Kreacher was a bit trying, as the house elf didn't know the story of the famous Harry Potter, so he had no faith, no idea that he could help him. He saw him as a child, a stranger. So he had forged ahead directly to the issue, no one said he was subtle, and after the gathering he had no patience to play word games. So with a direct look, and crossed fingers, Harry had said, "I know how to destroy it for you."

From Kreacher's reaction, babbling, and before even touching the locket, Harry had all the evidence he needed that Voldemort existed here and, unfortunately, was still alive.

Rubbing his head now and staring at the locket he berated himself for wasting a week without researching where he was. For Harry it was crucial knowing these things. He should have started researching the minute he woke up with a headache not only the first day, but the couple of other days during the week it had happened, including today. Headaches that had been concentrated in the front of his head, near his scar. Damn. How thick could he be?

Reaching for the locket he got up with his wand already in his right hand, and went to the secret compartment he had hidden the locket in yesterday evening. He had hidden it in front of Kreacher trying to show trust after the later had given it to him and watched with an obsessive quality.

The realization that the locket had left the compartment and was lying close to him, while he was sleeping, made any blink of sleepiness that might have still lingered disappear. The locket was as dangerous as ever, only stupidity could have induced him to put it away as he did last night with no spells or wards to prevent it from leaving and from anyone from finding it. But he had a better excuse; last night had left him mentally exhausted.

The memory of how he had ignored everyone talking to him while he was leaving last night made him wince. If nothing else, his Aunt Petunia had drummed manners into him till he had them memorized, and what he did last night was so rude it was astonishing. It was unlike him. But everything he had done since he had come to this place was unlike him. The way he treated Sirius made him cringe, the careful way he had kept from everyone last night might be justified with how overwhelmed he felt, but it still made him seem like a closed off, grumpy sort of person.

Rubbing his scar slightly, trying to rub his headache away, Harry looked at the locket still clutched in his hand. This time after closing the compartment, he spent a couple of minutes making sure he put enough wards on it to discourage anyone from coming near it and to prevent it from appearing somewhere else. Again.

Kreacher had taken some time to convince to trust him, but what broke him in the end and made him give Harry the locket and his partial trust was the binding promise that he'd help the elf destroy it. Also it helped that he talked to the elf about Regulus like he had known him. Poor Kreacher, Harry thought now that he was no longer frustrated with the house elf like last night.

The house elf had burst out crying after giving him the locket and the responsibility that came with it. He had rocked back and forth crying and sniffling and Harry let him, feeling sorry for him, for the way the burden had been thrust on him with no way to handle it.

Sighing deeply Harry dressed with fast economical movements and ran his hand through his long hair with a grimace. He didn't feel like keeping his hair long now that he was here with a very much alive Sirius. With a shake of his head, he headed to his bedroom door. This was no time to bethinking about such things. Later. Maybe.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The morning after the gathering, Sirius found Harry in the usual hated place, _the library_.

Standing by the door Sirius gave a deep sigh and smoothed his hair back. It looked like they were back to silence and the library. Maybe yesterday's gathering was too much for the boy. After all, it had seemed like a disaster to Sirius, but he hoped Harry found the positive among so much negative. The positive of course was that the Potters (minus one) had come to celebrate his birthday with him. Merlin only knew the fights Lily had to fight so they could even come.

Taking a deep breath and pasting the 'Hell if I care if you ignore me' smile, Sirius went in and said with cheerful voice. "Hello there, Harry. Back to the library I see"

His greeting was met with a rather surprising reaction. Harry startled badly then closed the book he had been reading with a snap and put it down. Sirius noticed with narrowed eyes that the title of the book was facing the table. His smile was fading, before Harry with a nervous twitch in his hand picked it up again and put it in his robe pocket.

One thing Sirius was certain of, Harry was no prankster. Yup. No prankster was that bad at lying and hiding things.

Turning to face Sirius, Harry smiled a bright smile, that to anyone who knew him would know hid his nervousness. "Morning. I'm not used to you being awake so early."

Blinking and ignoring, for now, the mystery of the book, Sirius stared at the blinding smile, directed at him. He waited for a minute before replying, cautious to this rather long speech from an unusual direction.

Maybe the party did make a difference.

"I thought I'd better be awake as there'll be people stopping by." He said carefully.

"Who?" Harry asked alarmed. He assured himself that he had cause to be anxious after last night's gathering.

"Not sure, I'm hoping that Remus might stop by. Or just come back to stay." Sirius replied in an extremely subdued voice, worry lines marking his forehead.

"Oh," Harry said. "I didn't see him last night, I thought he was … " He abruptly cut off the 'dead' he was about to add, looking at Sirius who was eyeing him. "Well, you know…busy." He substituted with a nervous hand wave.

"Nah, Remmy would've been here if he could have." Sirius paused, then added with a frown. "I don't think he knows you're even here now that I think about it."

Harry didn't reply to this. And Sirius didn't add anything before turning to leave except. "If you're done with your research, come down for breakfast. I'd like some company."

With a glance at his desk, which was still lined with the books he was reading to find out more about alternative universes, Harry turned and nodded. "I'll be right there."

Giving a nod back, Sirius turned and left the library. His head was now full with worried thoughts about his absent friend. Remus hadn't contacted the Order yet with news about the werewolves he'd been sent to talk to about, if not joining them, staying neutral.

Watching Sirius close the door behind him, Harry let out a deep breath. Damn, he was a bad liar and he was the first to say it. Good thing Kreacher was better at hiding things than him.

Before Kreacher left yesterday, Harry had asked for his help. Now that he had the burden of destroying the locket off his back, the house elf had been much more helpful and eager to be of use to him. Harry had asked for history books, and books about the "Dark Lord," as Kreacher called him so fearfully, and about the progress of the war for the last twenty years or so. By the time Harry had woken up, Kreacher had had the desk in the library arranged with all kind of books and, taking it a step further, he had hidden what those books were by changing their titles.

Of course when Sirius greeted him he had forgotten that fact and was startled enough to make Sirius suspicious of them. Hopefully, he'd forget about them while he was worrying about Remus.

Looking over the book he had been reading before he had been interrupted, Harry couldn't help but smile amused over the inventive title that Kreacher had given it. Who would look twice at a book with the title "Wizardly games you can play with your toad." He sure wouldn't. Maybe only Neville would, he thought with a fond smile. With a shake of his head he put the book back in his pocket and got up. He needed to get back to doing his auror exercises, he really shouldn't neglect them even if he was in another world.

Closing the door of the library behind him with a last look inside, Harry went down the stairs, listening to Sirius talking to someone. So there was already company. He was surprised that he didn't mind. Harry could do with some other people to talk to other than Sirius. Maybe he could learn more about this place from asking questions, they'll probably think he was curious about where he landed.

Walking into the kitchen, every eye turned toward him, except in Moody's case where only one eye turned. Tonks sat opposite him and raised a hand in greeting before going back to nursing her coffee with sleepy eyes. A man sat on her right, who Harry recognized distantly after a minute as Edgar Bones. Ahh, Amelia Bones's brother, the resemblance was there. They sat around the table drinking from the a pot of coffee in front of them, except for Moody who had his own flask which he took as wig from while still staring at Harry.

"Morning. Heard there was coffee?" Harry said, clearing his throat roughly. He looked at Sirius, who, with a slight smile, motioned him into the seat at the head of the table, beside him, while pouring some coffee into an empty cup. A chipped cup.

This house and all its stuff was falling apart Harry thought distantly.

Taking the cup with a thank you nod, Harry turned his eyes down, ignoring the direct and covert looks he was getting. Looking down at his coffee cup, then back up he met Moody's eyes. With a grimace, Harry knew he wouldn't be able to drink the coffee. He didn't trust Moody not to have left some Veritaserum or something else in the spare cup in case he joined them. Paranoid? Maybe! But he learned from the best. With a sigh he pushed back the cup with a slight smile at Moody.

"Maybe it's better not to have coffee after all."

"Afraid I'll poison you, boy?" Moody replied with a twisted smile. "I wouldn't you know. Albus said not to."

"Not poison, Mad-Eye, but you won't hesitate to slip me some truth serum now would you?" Harry's answer made everyone turn to Moody expecting a reply, even a sleepy Tonks, who earlier looked like she might be nodding off if her drooping head was any indication.

"Did you Moody?" Sirius asked with a sharp look.

"Well would you blame me if I did? We know nothing about him. He appears out of nowhere and Albus wouldn't let me even question him."

Rolling his eyes, Harry felt an amused smile curving his mouth involuntary, he couldn't help it. Damn, this was the man who had taught him to think twice before drinking a cup of coffee with company, and now his teachings were coming back to slap him in the face as Harry had no intention to drink his coffee.

Ignoring the sharp look he was getting from Moody and everyone else, even Sirius, expectantly waiting to see what he'd do, he called "Kreacher."

A pop announced the house-elf's arrival; he glared from behind Harry's chair at everyone before turning to Harry. "Yes, Master Harry Potter, sir?"

"Could you bring me a cup of coffee please Kreacher?" Harry asked with a soft smile at the astonished looks he was getting at Kreacher's polite question.

"Yes, Kreacher brings breakfast too for Master Harry Potter, sir, he eats something healthy." Another pop and Kreacher was gone before Harry could refuse the breakfast. Oh well, he sure liked Kreacher's pancakes, maybe he'd get some now.

"Bloody hell! How did you do that?"

"Tonks! Watch your language!" Moody growled with a glare.

"You're not my mother, Moody." She huffed, annoyed before turning with bright eyes to Harry. "Well? Even Sirius couldn't make Kreacher behave. We thought he was dotty."

"Yea," Sirius's fierce frown was turned towards him too now. "How did you do that?"

Raising an eyebrow mockingly Harry answered. "I was nice to him. Nothing else"

A snort made Harry frown back at Sirius's incredulity. "Nice! Hell, I don't want to be nice to that bugger. He's a prejudiced bastard who doesn't know how to speak without cursing the air blue."

"It seems neither can you," Harry answered simply, even though he had so much more to say.

"Why don't you drink some coffee?" The abrupt change in subject matter made everyone turn to Moody, surprise evident on their faces, who was fidgeting on his chair. "You don't want that crazy elf to poison you do you?"

Harry just looked on, with incredulity evident on his face at the auror. Did he honestly think he would drink from this coffee after this added invitation? He shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Obviously!" Tonks said with snort that sounded more like she was choking on something. "Honestly, Moody, try being more subtle next time. That was just poor auror work there."

A pop interrupted whatever Moody was about to say and breakfast appeared in front of Harry. Eggs, pancakes, and bacon accompanied with a cup of orange juice and a cup of coffee. With a smile and a nod at everyone's astonished looks, he took his fork and started eating, ignoring Sirius's attempt at stopping him with. "He'll poison you, you idiot!" Even Tonks was watching him apprehensively, waiting for him to start frothing from the mouth probably. When nothing happened after a minute, they ignored him, except for Tonks who was eyeing his bacon with a hungry look.

"So Lupin hasn't contacted anyone with any report of progress or just to check in?" Edgar finally was heard asking.

Sirius looked a thim, a worried look back on his face. "No, not yet. It's not like him to not tell us what's going on. He knows we'll worry if he doesn't contact us every two or three days. It's been a week!"

Everyone was looking worried and Harry slowing his eating couldn't help asking.

"Where is he?" After seeing everyone's blank faces, he then elaborated. "Remus? What mission was he sent on?"

"Don't worry about that, Harry; you just concentrate on getting used to this place and the people here." Sirius said, trying to calm him Harry thought, annoyed. But what did he think? That he'd be treated like an adult? They thought of him as a nineteen years old boy who had no clue about war or fighting.

"I just thought I could help. You know we did have the same war back home. Maybe I have some info you need."

A brief look from Sirius with a calming smile was his reply. Soothing him, he thought, annoyed.

"Help he says. What could a nineteen year old boy do to help with a war we'd been fighting longer than he's been alive?" Moody's sarcastic reply stung him.

"It seems if you'd been fighting longer than nineteen years and made no progress, you'd be happy to give some of the fight to others who might make the difference." Harry's reply was sharp.

His reply made everyone stare at him with surprise for the second time since he had joined them, except this time it was in astonishment. They were probably not used to anyone not being intimidated by Moody's gruff replies and behavior.

Clearing his throat, Sirius said carefully "Well, he might be of help. We won't lose anything by asking if he knows something we don't."

"We won't tell him anything!" Moody sharply yelled. "He's a stranger! We don't know him! He could be a death eater for all we know! So what if he's a Potter? He's from a different place, as you call it! All the Potters could be death eaters there for all we know!"

"The Potters would never be death eaters, in any place, you pretentious little .."

"Sirius!" Tonks yelped, surprised.

"Don't talk about them like that" Sirius finished with a dog-like growl.

"You don't tell me how to talk, Pup." Moody said now standing and leaning over to loom above Sirius who stared back with angry eyes, not frightened one bit by the auror. "I have seen and done things that'll make your hair go white. You know nothing. This boy you defend and his family could be some kind of crazed killers for all we know. We know nothing! Nothing! Because Albus talks about privacy, and you and your friends protect him like he was your long lost godson or even son. He is not!"

With that he turned, and with a last glare at Harry he added. "We're not gonna tell him anything, because whether you wanna admit it or not he _is _a stranger." Looking at Edgar as he nodded, he turned to Tonks expectantly, and she nodded slowly her eyes wide in surprise. But Sirius looked back, eyes as angry as Moody's, before he hissed in a low voice. "I'll do whatever I think is the right thing. Albus didn't say we aren't allowed to give him information." Leaning forward he hissed fiercely. "And if giving him information will mean helping Remus then I'll do it. And you can take yourself to hell and back and see if I care."

Glaring at each other, Harry watched them interested in the interaction, and took a bite of eggs under Tonks's astonished raised eyebrows. He smiled amused at the ridiculous fight. Good thing Edgar intervened then as Moody looked ready to kill Sirius, while the second sat back in his chair now with a cool and challenging look.

Edgar cleared his throat and said with his low base voice. "Moody, leave it. We have to go anyway"

Letting out an angry breath from his nostrils, Moody shot Harry a glare before turning and stomping out of the room with Edgar who left with a general nod, and headed to the living room to floo out.

"So are you going to tell me where Remus is now, or was that fight just for the heck of it?" Harry's question shattered the fragile atmosphere.

"Merlin. You must be crazy, Moody was about to kill you and you just sat there and ate as calm as ever." Tonks let out a choked laugh.

Sirius's eyes snapped to him, before a smile took over his face. "I would've protected him from the big bad auror." He cooed.

Tonks snorted, before drinking the last of her coffee, with a grimace at its cold taste.

"Well, I'm off, too much drama for so early a day. Ciao!" She waved and left, also heading for the living room.

"You know, I wouldn't have needed you to protect me," Harry said, amused and raising an eyebrow.

"Ha, yea you would have. But keep thinking you wouldn't, you big powerful wizard, you," Sirius said mockingly.

Eyes twinkling, amused, Harry didn't say anything, deciding to ignore that statement. He just grabbed his cup of juice, before lifting suddenly serious eyes to his godfather with an expectant face. "Are you going tell me where Remus is? Or was that just you wanting to argue for arguing sake?"

Grimacing Sirius said carefully. "It's not that I don't trust you, it's just order business and we need Albus's and the other members to vote whether to tell you or not. Can't do nothing about it."

Harry rolled his eyes exasperated, Sirius would never change. He wouldn't back from a good fight, doesn't matter if he agreed or not with the person he argued with.

Well then, he wouldn't be getting any info from the order members. That left the books and, with a devious smile that made Sirius lift his eyebrows questionably, it left the younger people in the house who weren't order members.

Joshua and his extendable ears could be of a great deal of help right about this moment. Ahh the memories this brings.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Another week passed, with members dropping by occasionally. Harry rubbed elbows with them, exchanged a word or two, but didn't stay longer than that. He met most of them, Emmeline Vance with her intelligent eyes, Elphias Doge, and even met the Longbottoms briefly. But no Potters. Not even Joshua, who he thought would pop by even if the rest of his family didn't. He convinced himself that he didn't care, he only cared for the info he could get from the younger Potter boy, not the talkative boy himself who didn't know how to keep quiet.

He had been spending his time by waking up early, start his mornings with coffee then staying in the library, where he was met with several surprises. The history books showed several things. First of all, there was no mention of how his counterpart died. Was he even killed? But there was a mention of Neville: his home was attacked when he was about two years old, while his grandma was babysitting. She was killed, but Neville, for some reason, was spared. Some books said Voldemort tried, but couldn't kill him, some said his grandma, being such a powerful witch, put a ward around him or hid him so well with spells that even Voldemort couldn't find him.

One book that Harry had initially discredited because of its discreditable author, but had still read none the less, said that there was a rumor circling in the darker circles that Voldemort didn't kill him because of a prophecy that stated that Neville might bring Voldemort's downfall. That when Voldemort was faced with baby Neville, he was afraid that killing him might be his downfall and didn't go through with it.

Now Harry that knew there was a prophecy in his world, and the mention of a rumor of one here, made him not discredit the book as others might when a supposed rumor and not a fact was mentioned in a history book. But more research didn't give him any more mention of prophecies. So was Neville the Boy-Who-Lived? Did he have a scar? No book mentioned a scar. But it might have been somewhere hidden on his body. Was he even hurt during the attack? So many questions and no answers.

The only clear answer he got from Sirius was that Voldemort hadn't attacked Neville since that night when he was one year old. So a nineteen year old Neville never met Voldemort again except for that one night. That also was different, weird, and also confusing. His research pointed out that there was a similar prophecy, if not the same, but no Boy-Who-Lived to take its burden.

Harry woke up to the end of his second weekend in this world, after spending it researching its history and not alternative worlds. He was still met with the same useless results though. When he entered the kitchen, he was met with a surprise.

James Potter had made an appearance in the Headquarters.

Tripping on his own feet while going to get his first caffeine shot of the day, Harry had found James sitting at the kitchen table sipping his own coffee slowly. A surprise for sure. All of the order members stopped by at least once, if not for business then to see the other worldly stranger they had in their headquarters. But not James Potter, that is, until now.

Halting in the kitchen entrance, Harry looked at the sitting figure with messy hair looking into his coffee cup, deep in thoughts. His entrance was ignored at first, until, with a start, James looked up. His presence in the kitchen seemed to surprise the older man, so it was only expected that his damn eyebrow lifted up mockingly in reaction.

He couldn't help it. Call it self defense, or call it a Snape influence, it is what it is. It's the way he reacted nowadays to people that disturbed or threatened him. Mocking and challenging. Of course, his raised eyebrow was met with a frown, that cleared surprisingly fast, before with a sigh James went back to his coffee cup.

Well Harry could be the bigger man here. He cleared his face of all expression.

"Morning."

Not waiting for a reply that might not be forthcoming, he went and prepared his own coffee cup before taking it and sitting at the table, two chairs away from James. No need to court trouble, or an argument in this case.

Silence reined in the kitchen for some time before, with another sigh, James raised his head and watched Harry drinking his coffee, slowly, while Harry ignored him and stared at the wall, not looking at anything in particular.

"You met Joshua and Fran."

It was a statement, not a question, nor an enquiry. Blinking, Harry turned his head to look briefly at James, before saying carefully yea. He then grimaced at his clipped tone. "More Joshua than Fran actually."

He could play this game.

"He seems like a nice kid." he winced inwardly at the bland tone his voice had adopted.

A snort snapped him out of his inner reprimands. "Kid? You're three years older not ten."

"Maybe, but he seems younger. Unspoiled by the war and what's happening around him." Harry said carefully. He didn't mean to insult, but Joshua seemed so young. Younger than he had ever been, even when he was eleven and just starting Hogwarts.

James hummed thoughtfully before carefully saying, like he was thinking each word over before saying it. "Yes. We wanted him," Then with a slight shake corrected. "Them, to have their childhood, enjoy it. Hogwarts might get the newspaper so they hear about clashes with You-Know-Who's forces and the deaths, but – " With a slight grimace he raised his head. Brown eyes met green for a second before both snapped their eyes back to their cups automatically. "They deserve to have a childhood like we did. So we made sure they had the environment to have it."

Harry wanted to snort. Yea, you spoiled him rotten, he thought, but he had no right to say it out loud. He had met the boy twice, briefly, but he had gotten that impression from the way Joshua spoke with a freedom and unrestraint that he never knew. Maybe spoiled wasn't the right word, but he was protected, too protected. He wanted to ask James what'll happen next year when his son graduated and became helpless in the power struggle going on. It would be like throwing a child into the water and expecting him to float.

A crash made him jump, he felt James's head snap up in surprise at the sudden sound, but it became clear what happened when he heard Sirius tripping and stomping toward the kitchen with incoherent mutters.

"Morning," Harry said cheerfully to Sirius, more relieved to see another person in the kitchen than he wanted to admit to himself. "Did you trip on the carpet at the bottom of the stairs?"

"Yesss," Sirius hissed, annoyed. "He did it on purpose, trying to kill me that little, unhelpful, son of … "

"Sirius" James's sharp reprimand interrupted his flow of curses making Sirius clear his gaze and stand up straight as an arrow, just noticing that James was sitting at the same table with him, Harry thought amused, with no wands drawn. Well it was a kind of miracle. "If you're done, we need to leave, we're late as it is." James continued with an annoyed tone, standing up with the last word.

"Go! Now? I need my coffee!"

"No time, should've woken up earlier, we need to go now so we can…" A slight pause. "Get there by noon."

"Right," Then more firmly. "Right." Sirius looked around the kitchen like he was looking for something, while feeling for his wand in his pocket. "Let's go. I hope Remus didn't get in more trouble than we can help with."

"You're going to get Remus?" Harry asked, sitting straight in his chair while looking from the corner of his eye at James who was now glaring at a reddening Sirius.

"Uh, well, yes. Just you know checking out if he's okay. No need to mention that to Albus." Then with another thought. "Or anyone that is."

Blinking Harry looked at him, then at James who was by the kitchen door eager to leave. They were both fidgeting.

"Albus doesn't know! Nice. Okay you don't want me to tell, I won't." When he saw them both relax at his statement he added with a smug smile. "If I can come with you."

"What?"

"Hell no!"

His smile widened, and apparently that was the last thing they both were expecting.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Author Note- so yes it took loads of time, self criticism is worse than a stranger saying he doesn't like the way you write. So this chapter was sent to my Beta before I was satisfied it was good enough, she liked it, hope you guys do too.

Also, thanks loads for the reviews, I had reviews that made me smile, some made me think and others made me laugh out loud. All of them were appreciated. Thanks.


	13. The Rescue

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter Twelve**

**"The Rescue"**

Walking for hours wasn't his idea of a change of scenery or a challenge. They'd been walking for almost one full hour, when, glancing at his watch, Harry sighed. How far away was this place, and why did it seem like no one know how to apparate anymore?

And another glance from James.

Harry raised an eyebrow mockingly as James looked, Again, back at him over his shoulder. Walking in a forest, in God knows where, not anywhere near London for sure, and getting wary looks. Nope, not his idea of an outing at all.

Harry just stared ahead at James's back. He could still see the frown James had worn since they had apparated with him to this forest in the middle of nowhere. Well at least he had stopped arguing against him coming. He had been outmaneuvered and he knew it, Harry smiled amused.

And another glance. This time suspicious as James saw his smile. Damn, those glances were making his skin itch, but still he couldn't blame him. After all, he was as paranoid as they come, so having James glancing constantly over his shoulder was understandable. If the places were reversed, Harry would have refused point blank to give his back to someone he didn't trust.

Hmm. Maybe he could see that as progress. James trusting him enough to let him walk behind him.

Walking slowly, Harry recalled what Sirius had let slip before they apparated and started into this going-to-no-where walk. It seemed Remus was making contact with werewolves, and they were checking to see if he was alright. From a distance though, as Sirius explained fretfully while looking pleadingly at him to understand why he shouldn't come.

You'd think that because they were going to watch from afar it would be okay for him to go with them, but as James explained again and again and yes again, it was the subterfuge and the making sure the werewolves couldn't see them or even smell them that was the hardest part of this, not fighting them.

Well he was good at undercover operations, not that they listened when he said so.

More arguments issued after that, where Sirius and James screamed and argued with one another for ten minutes in the living room. Harry listened from behind the door to James calling him a kid that could get himself killed, then to Sirius saying he was an adult over seventeen years old. They had finally agreed that he could come, if he stayed behind them and listened to everything they said and did whatever they told him to do.

Of course, each and every word was accompanied with a frustrated and furious frown directed at him from James.

So that was why he was now following tweedledumb and tweedledumber while they made their not so professional way through the forest using direction spells. I mean really! They walked over dry leaves, and kicked some lose rocks making enough noise to wake the dead, while darting from tree to bush to tree!

Okay, not really darting from tree to bush, but they were acting like they were being discreet.

They weren't.

Sighing heavily at Sirius, who had just tripped over a rock sticking from the ground, Harry followed at a more sedate pace, walking carefully, making hardly any noise, and wincing with each new noise the older two made.

After a while continuing on like this, still with no landmarks to give him a clue where they were, Sirius and James stopped abruptly. They looked at each other, and after much glaring at one another, accompanied by eye blinks and gestures, Sirius turned to Harry who was waiting with an exasperation he couldn't hide.

"Remember you promised to do as asked Harry. Now wait here and we'll be right back ok?"

"No."

"Wh..What?" Sirius stuttered back.

"Look kid, we have a way to get close without being detected. You can't go any further or you'll get us all caught, got it?" James said with a firm, no nonsense expression that Harry was sure he used with his kids when he wanted them to do something with no arguments.

"Well kid beats calling me boy I guess." Harry said thoughtfully, confusing James with the out of nowhere sentence. After a pause, he added. "Fine. I guess you're right. I'll wait here."

Seeing the astonished and suspicious look on Sirius's face at his quick agreement, Harry pretended to give a meek look and sat at the base of the tree he'd been leaning against.

James took his word for it and turned with a raised eyebrow and a superior look to Sirius. He started walking in the same direction they were heading in before, while Sirius with a last suspicious look followed in a fast pace, but not before leaving Harry with one last "stay hidden" demand.

Harry had to wait five minutes before he could hear no more feet stomping noise. He was sure they were gone, but he looked around to make sure he was alone. Then grinning, he raised his wand and with a flick and a tap on his head he felt the thick, liquid sensation of the invisibility spell he had cast on himself. Then, with another mutter and a quick circular flick of his wand, he made sure that his scent was covered.

They were good spells for undercover work, quick and efficient, but the downside was if anyone brushed by him they'd be able to feel him.

Walking easily and silently through the woods, Harry followed James and Sirius. He wanted to see how they would act in this kind of situation. He wasn't going to interfere, he decided, he'll just watch for them from afar. Make sure they pulled this off and left it alive, and with Remus.

After walking for another ten minutes in the same direction, Harry heard a noise, and loud shouts coming from where James and Sirius had been. Moving faster now, with alarm, he saw a clearing ahead of him. Carefully, he sidestepped to his right behind a tree looking over a clearing.

Immediately Harry saw where the noise was coming from. Immediately in front of him was a small clearing with a bonfire on the right side and some very old huts scattered everywhere in no certain order.

Around the bonfire were a group of men, if you could call them that. They looked like wolves, was the first thought Harry had. It wasn't prejudice. Remus for example didn't strike you as a werewolf at first look, but these men seemed to have taken being werewolves to heart, or they didn't know anything else.

Most of them had long, tangled, filthy hair and dirty beards. They also had scars littering their chests, and not to mention their clothes or lack of them. Some had shorts on, some had torn jeans and others were wearing loose PJ pants, and of course Harry thought sarcastically even those were dirty, they were mostly caked with mud. Nobody wore shirts.

But the thing that should have drawn his attention right away was the reason they were laughing: Sirius.

He was in his animagus form, a large black dog, and he was running around following his tail. He was the distraction, Harry concluded. Now where was James?

Keeping half his attention on Sirius to make sure nothing happened to him, Harry looked around at the huts. Huts! Harry sighed. It was like finding another race of humans, secluded and living in their own private world and culture. But one thing soon caught his attention and kept it. It was a man, wearing nothing but rags and blood. His chest was so scared and bloody that Harry wasn't sure if it was one big injury or several ones. They had found Remus.

His teeth clenched in fury, Harry watched as James, using an invisibility spell, moved with careful slow movements toward Remus. Harry winced as he saw him walk with his eyes more on Remus and the men surrounding Sirius, than on the ground and his surroundings. So when he stepped on a leaf, the crunching sound was like a bomb in Harry's ears, and he wasn't surprised when one of the men who was standing closest to Remus turned his head with a glance-away look, and then with a sniff caught his scent.

Wincing Harry watched as the man-wolf gave a roar-like shout that alerted his friends and they all turned in James's direction, spotting him immediately using their noses rather than their eyes.

Oh well, ten of them, and three plus one injured of his group. Harry deduced the grossly unfair numbers. For them.

With a wolfish smile that could put the werewolves' to shame, Harry stepped fully out from behind the tree.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Joshua had been sitting on the kitchen table watching his mum stirring the cake mix for his favorite chocolate cake for the last ten minutes.

Usually he'd demand that she call him when the cake was out of the oven, but he knew that this time the cake wasn't being made for him. That probably explained the worried look on her face.

"So when are you going to Headquarters? 'Cause I'll probably come with you. Am done with all of my homework."

His dad hadn't wanted him to go see Harry. He hadn't come out and said it this time, no his dad had learnt his lesson when his mum stood up to him and said they were going to the headquarters for Harry's birthday even if James didn't want to join them.

So his dad had made sure to have things more "important" for him to do each time he mentioned going to headquarters. Like mowing the lawns, not like his dad couldn't do it with a spell and a wand wave. Then came the cleaning different areas of the house, and lastly doing his homework, which he never did during the summer. He only said he did when they asked the years before, this time he had to do them because he knew his dad will check them if he claimed to have finished all of them.

But today his dad wasn't at home, and he was done with his homework so there was no reason for Joshua not to go. It sure didn't hurt that his mum was going there too. To bring Harry a new cake, one that maybe he'd have a chance to taste this time.

She had been thinking about the idea for some time, with his dad grunting and not answering each time mentioned it.

Today, when Joshua heard his dad say he'd probably be late coming home, Joshua mentioned the cake and said that he thought it was a good idea. His mum only needed those two words to get her moving into the kitchen and making Joshua's favorite cake, probably thinking Harry would love it like her younger son did.

The problem was she was taking too long. Her brooding was slowing up the making of the cake.

"'Cause I want a piece of the cake." Joshua added abruptly.

With a faint smile Lily said, distractedly, "Of course, Honey. Why don't you ask your sister if she wants to join us too?"

Grinning like a lunatic, Joshua left to find his sister.

Success sure was sweet. Also he'd get to eat his favorite chocolate cake!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Exhilarating.

Harry was grinning like a lunatic as he jumped over a log that was in his way and looked at James who was supporting Remus, both of them half walking, half running as fast as they could. Sirius was running behind them, and Harry following them last.

Behind them, howls raised the hairs on the back of his neck and made even the half conscious Remus jerk with alarm.

The fight hadn't taken long, and it had been neither sophisticated, nor dangerous. After jumping from behind the tree, Harry had used the cover provided by the invisibility spell to start stunning the werewolves left and right without fear of retaliation. Occasionally, a few other more creative curses were used. It turns out that _Engorgio_was good for more than a laugh! Of course the werewolf who got hit by it wasn't laughing. He had grabbed his swelling nose until he had fallen over from the weight of it, which was bigger than his head.

That was enough to distract the werewolves from James and Remus. James took the hint. He helped Remus up after cutting the ropes around his wrists and feet and carried him into the woods blasting two werewolves who got in his way.

Sirius darted around and under the wolves' feet, biting them and distracting them from finding Harry. For even with though he had his invisibility and scent free spells, any werewolves that bumped into Harry would have ruined his protection and brought them into a full fight.

After that, it was easy for Harry to provide cover, giving James, Remus and Sirius enough time to get as far from the clearing as possible, hexing any werewolves who moved from the area. Harry continued until the Marauders were out of the mayhem, then snuck away, and ran after them.

Bu apparently the wolves weren't as stupid as they looked. They figured out that the one cursing them was gone, and were in full pursuit after their attackers.

Harry stayed behind the Marauders on the way out making sure that their scents were removed from the area they ran through. It was supposed to make it harder for them to be followed. Werewolves were fast, but they still needed to know which way their prey went so that they could be found.

Success was thy name. Harry grinned, exhilarated, adrenaline still running high in his blood. It'd been a long time since he had fought or had been in any real danger. He'd forgotten what it was like to think on your feet. After all, training can make you knowledgeable, but in a real situation, there were those who froze and those who excelled.

And his trainer couldn't see him now. Shame.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Apparating to Hogsmeade was one more experience for Harry, in this new world. But a bad one for sure.

They had decided to go to Hogwarts to get Remus tended to. Apparently Madam Pomfrey never came to the Headquarters, it being too dangerous for her to know its whereabouts. So they had to go to her to get Remus medical attention. A badly hurt Remus who has lost consciousness after being dragged and carried through the woods, while running from their pursuers.

The first thing that Harry noticed was the lack of people, it was eerie, like a ghost town, he could hear noises but couldn't see anyone.

The houses creaked, the curtains moved, and eyes watched. Eyes that he couldn't see or catch a glimpse of while they walked through town toward Hogwarts.

He got the shivers, his sixth sense was screaming that he was being watched, they all were. It wasn't a danger, it was like being stalked, every step watched, his every move analyzed, his features examined, all by invisible people.

Some people would simply walk on and not feel or care about it, but he could feel his skin crawl, his eyes kept snapping from left to right, trying to catch a glimpse of something, someone, anyone. Nothing! It really was a ghost town.

The town he remembered being so alive, so full of shops and good memories for him and his friend and their time at Hogwarts, was creepily empty and broken. It was now full of closed shops, boarded windows and doors, and the broken debris that filled the street.

Abandoned.

And that wasn't the worst of it. Signs of war filled this small town. The harsh ravages of war, of attacks, missing chinks of buildings from each shop and house, vandalized and broken buildings, traces of old blood on the ground. The smell of death filled this place and no one could miss it.

Personal belongings were scattered everywhere. A colorful scarf, now dirty and torn lay at his feet. Harry could do nothing but bend and pick it up, sure that the person who lost it wouldn't be coming back to find it. She might not care enough about retrieving it, or she might not be alive to care anymore.

Never had this world's war been clearer to him.

He hadn't forgotten about it, after all he lived in the Order of the Phoenix's Headquarters, and his own worlds war was far from forgotten. It couldn't be, not with all the people who had died fighting in it.

He had gotten entangled with his situation and the people here. But just because he didn't deal with the fact that there was a war going on didn't mean that deaths weren't happening each day. That his help could mean that another kid wouldn't lose his family, because he took his time investigating and searching for answers on his own.

He shouldn't have smiled while running away from the werewolves. He shouldn't have felt exhilarated. It was a small thing getting Remus alive from them, a very small thing, if this place's appearance reflected the state of the rest of the Wizarding world here.

He was going back to his own world some day. But while he was here, Harry wasn't going to be hiding his past anymore, because helping them fight their war meant telling them about his life. And what a small price that is if it prevented more deaths.

"Harry!" James snapped his name and walked ahead with Sirius who had changed back. They had apparently levitated Remus while he had been lost in thought.

James and Sirius had been trying to get his attention for some time, so Harry cleared his throat and snapped his attention from his surroundings to focus on them.

"Yes?"

"Walk! We need to get Remus to Poppy!" James half jogged on the path to Hogwarts with Sirius trailing behind watching Harry.

"You did great back there," Sirius said with a quick smile in his direction. "Saved our asses." Ignoring the snort coming from James's direction, he looked at Harry and paused before continuing, carefully. "You look pale. Are you alright? Did they hurt you back there?" Sirius asked looking him up and down, checking for injuries.

"No, I'm fine." Harry answered briefly.

Another snort from James.

"What's your problem?" Harry snapped, feeling on edge.

"You said 'fine' when I told you not to follow us! Apparently I should've asked you if you knew what that word means!" James snapped back, not turning to look at Harry while he talked, keeping his eyes ahead and on Remus.

Rolling his eyes Sirius interfered before Harry, whose eyes had narrowed and was now glaring at James's back, said anything that might start a fight. "Well are you alright? You're pale?"

"What happened to Hogsmeade?" Harry asked abruptly, snapping his eyes off James.

"Hogsmeade?" Sirius looked astonished for a moment, then looking back toward the small town like he was trying to see what Harry had seen there.

"It's a ruin!" Harry clarified his meaning with a raised eyebrow at the need to explain at all.

"That's what usually happens when You-Know-Who and his Deatheaters attack a place you know!" James said sarcastically, interfering again. "Now both of you stop dragging your feet!"

"Sorry mate," Sirius jogged ahead. They had been lagging behind again. "Want me to levitate Remus for a while so you can rest?"

"No, we're here."

And they were. They had reached the gates of Hogwarts, and it was the same Hogwarts. The outside world hadn't intruded here. Not on the building and grounds anyway, the students were another matter entirely. How many of them had deaths in their family? How many died in the weeks he'd been here doing nothing? Saying …

"Well!" Sirius looked at him with a raised eyebrow, walking backwards so that he could watch Harry. James ignored them and continued on with Remus.

"It's the same Hogwarts." Harry said haltingly not understanding what Sirius wanted him to say.

"If he's from an alternative world, Sirius, then he did finish seven years of study here and knows this school well enough."

Six years actually, Harry corrected him quietly, not saying the words aloud.

"Oh right! Well here we go." With a series of taps on the entrance doors and a wave of his wands the, the door opened for Sirius with an ominous creak.

They entered the dim hallway and immediately headed for the infirmary, where Poppy greeted them with "Put him on that bed!" They were then shoed out. It all sounded so familiar to Harry.

"Now what?" Sirius asked with a grin after they were given Poppy's assurance that Remus would be fine, with a little rest, fluids and some time so that his wound could mend properly.

Standing outside the infirmary, they seemed at a loss on what to do next, now that they had found Remus. Well, Harry knew what he was going to do, find Albus and …

"Now you explain how you came to find Remus." Said the grave voice of Albus intruding on them.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**Author Note**: and again I apologize for the long wait. I really hope to have the time to get chapters done faster. It's a good thing I have such a great Beta, she reviewed it and sent it back over night.

Next chapter will feature the talk, and am planning on an Order meeting with Harry in it. haven't written it yet, but I know it'll be a hard one to write.

Anyhow, hope you like this chapter, and you know how much I like reviews, so please be generous with them


	14. Information is Power

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**"Information is Power"**

No need to find the headmaster after all.

Dumbledore stood before them, looking them over. He noticed their dirty clothes and in James's case torn ones too. Before he could prepare himself, blue eyes met bright green ones that were still full with all the realizations he had just arrived to.

Harry was sure, all in that instant of eye contact that Dumbledore saw the difference in him immediately and knew what it meant. With a slight, almost unnoticeable nod in his direction, Dumbledore turned back to the Marauders.

"We knew there was trouble," James said firmly, looking Albus in the eyes to answer the Headmaster's enquiry. Harry saw no regrets there. "The three of us knew, Albus! It isn't like Remus to not make contact, even if it's only to tell us there was no progress or that he was alright."

Glancing briefly at Sirius who stood silently, but firmly, beside him giving silent support, James continued. "And we couldn't wait for the Order to talk, discuss, and take time to rethink their actions." A tinge of his frustration at past discussions was reflected in his voice.

Harry watched this alternative father of his act like an authority figure, standing taller than usual somehow while he was talking to Albus. James looked like somebody to watch out for if he stood on the opposite side of his wand, and for the first time Harry also saw also the darkness in his eyes, the long dampened frustration of working and searching and trying to reach a result, an end to this war, an end that was far from coming, and failing.

James reminded Harry of himself, but worse. Worse because it had taken him seven long years to reach an end and start to rebuild himself, James never had that chance, he had been fighting since leaving school, if not before that.

"Very well." Albus's calm voice intruded.

"That's all you're going to say?" Sirius sounded as surprised as Harry felt. Albus would usually talk or hint about the foolishness of an act or ask for details and give his approval. Or disapproval.

But Albus was tired, never had the difference between Harry's headmaster and this one been clearer, Albus was physically and mentally tired. The fact that he had been fighting for far more years than his headmaster had, had left its mark on him. Harry just never had it flung into his face so clearly before.

"Yes, Sirius, that will be all. You saved Remus, and I do believe that saved is the right word as Poppy contacted me and told me of his numerous injuries. All I can do is apologize for not being more alert, and sending someone for him earlier."

The quiet reply had both James and Sirius wincing and lowering their gazes from the direct and tired look coming from Dumbledore.

They feel bad about Dumbledore, they feel that he isn't doing enough and Albus knows what they're thinking, that others in the Order probably have the same thoughts, Harry realized watching their interaction with astonishment, they want to do more and until now Dumbledore wouldn't let them, that's why they went behind his back.

"I believe you want to stay with your friend," came the half question, half statement, then without waiting for them to answer, Dumbledore turned, and went in the direction of his office.

Harry watched him go until he had turned a corner and disappeared from sight. He then looked at Sirius and James and said, very slowly and carefully, "You went behind his back because you didn't trust him to let you go after Remus". Trust was definitely the issue here.

His statement was met with startled looks from both men; they seemed surprised with his intuitiveness, his ability to see that far into their relationship with the Headmaster. They did not seem to know what to say in answer to it.

Harry didn't think he wanted an answer anyway. No, he didn't want to see such a drastic result. It was a result of Dumbledore being the leader of the light for so long, with people dying and losing hope and still no clear end to the war. A situation that made his followers start to distrust his judgments, to do things without his approval or even his advice.

When there is no leader you can put your trust in, you start making your own decisions without consulting or asking others for advice or help. It means not only do you lose your faith in him, but the other members lose their trust as well and start making their own decisions without consulting the others. It means the start of the end of group work.

It means the beginning of the end for the Order of the Phoenix.

With a last look, he turned and left in the same direction Dumbledore went.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"You seem preoccupied."

Startled, Harry turned. His hand instinctively started going to his wand until he caught sight of Albus standing on the opposite end of the astronomy tower, where Harry had went after he left Sirius and James at the infirmary with Remus.

"I was just thinking about this place," Harry said. He was trying to think of how to explain enough, but not all, to Dumbledore and to the Order.

"Ahh, you left the house and saw a little part of the bad in our world." Albus said with a sad smile on his face, making the wrinkles on his face deepen.

"It wasn't just bad, it was worse than that." The anger in Harry's voice must have surprised Albus who was now looking at him with greater interest.

"You talk like you have not seen war, not seen fighting and places ruined by such acts, Harry." Then with another thoughtful look at the boy, Albus turned to look at the Hogwarts grounds that Harry was now glaring at.

After a brief pause, Albus continued. "I have been trying not to intrude on your adjustment in this world too much, for I know that doing so would make it harder for you to... to belong."

"I'm adjusting as much as possible." Came Harry's abrupt reply. "Belong? That's another issue altogether."

Albus was watching him closely now. "Yes, it's a hard situation."

When Harry didn't comment on this apart from a derisive sniff, Albus added with the same watchful look. "Would you like to join me for a cup of tea in my office?" The familiar question made Harry turn back to Albus with a nod before he thought about it too much.

The leader of the Order of the Phoenix wanted information about his world, Harry knew. Even if Albus thought he didn't know much about the war, he'd want to know a little about his world to see the similarities and try to use them to help him in this reality if he could.

The difference was that Albus now realized that he was ready to talk about it.

"Tea sounds good." Then he added with a smile to try to lighten the mood they both seemed to have sunken into. "Its been some time since I drank tea. Coffee works better at dawn when you need to wake up to go to grueling training."

"Training?" Albus said, looking for a second astonished "Auror training?"

"It's the only kind to wake you up at dawn isn't it?"

"Indeed my boy, I do believe I have fallen into the trap of judging a book by its cover, and in this instance by the age." Albus said glancing at Harry sideways as they started walking companionably down the corridor toward the Headmaster office "I would've thought you'd still be in the looking for a direction phase in your life, not already decided and started on your path."

"Hmm, well I've known what I wanted to do since fifth year. McGonagall helped me achieve it though. Wouldn't have been able to do it without her." Harry mentioned with a fond smile thinking about the tough Headmistress who now resided over the school and had it running efficiently, with stern commands and a strict adherence to rules, so very different from her predecessor.

Smiling fondly too, Albus turned the last turn before facing the Gargoyle guarding the entrance to his office, and with a muttered "Bubble Wax" opened it to reveal the stairs Harry had gone up so many times before.

It had been a long time though, since he had last went up knowing he'd be sitting down for a talk with Dumbledore. That more than anything made him pause for a moment, letting the wave of grief that filled him pass, a grief that always passed like a wave rolling onto the shore then retreating. It happened on the weirdest moments. Seeing a black dog did it sometimes, or, like now, simply going to drink tea with Albus.

Following the Headmaster, who had already started up the stairs, knowing that the talk they would have would be one of the most difficult ones he'd had since he was eleven years old.

"Minerva can be quite determined when she sets her mind on something," Albus said with a smile, watching Harry expectantly.

So Harry obliged, "Yes, still as stern, tough and determined as ever." Then taking a deep breath, Harry took advantage of the opening. "And she was quite a good leader and Headmistress especially during the war when we had Death Eaters acting as teachers."

With that statement, he ignored the startled look that Albus gave him, he probably did not expect him to get right to the point, and strode forward and sat down on the chair right in front of the Headmasters desk.

Albus sat more calmly in his chair not taking his eyes of Harry's who met them with a determined light.

"It hasn't gotten that bad here to have Death Eaters in our school," Dumbledore said. Then with a firm light to his eyes that made him look younger than he had all evening, he added "No. No Death Eaters. Not as long as I'm alive and reside over Hogwarts."

"Yes, I believe that was the reason the Death Eaters had the chance to come into school. It stopped being as safe after the Headmaster…"Harry paused, watching Albus's intent look. "Your counter part, died."

Silence echoed in the room for a minute.

"Death is but …"

"The next great adventure," Harry finished with a slight smile curving his mouth. He was met with a similar smile from the Headmaster.

"Very true." Another considering pause occurred, as if neither knew what question would help them start on this oh so important conversation. But before either could decide what to say or ask next, a tray of tea and a plate of sandwiches appeared in front of them.

"Ahh House Elves are truly magical creatures, Harry. Don't you think?" Albus said with a smile. "They know what we need without asking." Then holding the plate in his direction. "Sandwich, my boy?"

"Thanks," Harry grabbed a sandwich. He was feeling hungry, it'd been some time since he last ate.

"I can help you end this war, Headmaster." Harry said abruptly, getting tired of going round and round and not getting to the issue on hand.

"Can you?" was Albus's mild answer, very mild considering what Harry just said.

"You don't believe me?" Harry said with a self-derisive smile, how arrogant to think Albus would just take his world for it, a nineteen year old, who had just graduated and started Auror training, as far as Albus knew about him.

"Not so much, but I do think that you possess the enthusiasm of youth. Mayhap saying 'end the war' is too much," Albus answered with a serious look. "But I am sure that you hold information that could help us to get there someday."

"Pessimism is not like you, Professor."

"Isn't it?" answered Dumbledore with a slightly raised white eyebrow.

"No. No it isn't" was the curt answer.

Maybe getting right to the point wouldn't do. Hell, maybe all the talking will achieve nothing in the end. Seeing the inquisitive look he was getting from the waiting Headmaster, Harry's eyes took a left turn, away from the Headmaster, to fall on a very familiar object. The _Pensieve_. Wincing inwardly, he couldn't help but feel that it would make everything much easier. So be it.

"Perhaps it'll be easier to show you why I am so sure I can help you end the war." With that, he stood and walked toward the Pensieve. Then waving a casual arm toward it he asked. "May I?"

A cautious look he never saw in the headmasters eyes before came and went quickly, but receiving a slight nod and an "Of course," Harry picked the Pensieve and carried it to the headmaster's desk.

Closing his eyes Harry concentrated on the memory, or memories, which he wanted to show him. Taking his wand, he pointed it at his temple until he got the first thread of silver memory out and in the Pensieve.

By the end of the evening, Harry thought, the Headmaster will lose that look of defeat from his eyes, and hopefully it'll start a new era in this war against Voldemort. With that encouraging thought, Harry concentrated on his sixth year memories, specifically the meetings he had with Dumbledore and the memories he was shown. Finally, he put the memory of the talk he had with the Headmaster after viewing Professor Slughorn's memory of his talk with Tom about the Horcruxes.

He hesitated for a moment, before placing another memory in the_Pensieve_. Once that was over with, he looked up to see Dumbledore watching him with an enigmatic stare that made Harry want to fidget in discomfort.

"All done?" came the quiet question.

"Yes." And now Harry did fidget, feeling uncomfortable with sharing his memories with Albus, even if he was an alternative of the Headmaster he knew and cared about.

With a nod toward Harry, Dumbledore raised his wand and stirred the contents in the Pensieve with it. Then with a muttered word, the office they were sitting in disappeared and the first memory started playing.

"You brought this memory out to us," said Harry as the first memory started to take shape in the form of ministry official Bob Ogden walking toward a cottage, the Gaunts' cottage.

A nod was his only answer as Dumbledore concentrated on the argument about Morfin Gaunt attacking muggles. When Albus's eyes went to the young woman, Morfin's sister Harry quietly said, "Merope Gaunt."

"The Gaunts," Albus said as the scene was coming to an end. "Are descendants of Salazar Slytherin." Before Harry could acknowledge that statement the scene changed and suddenly they were back in the Headmaster's office. Except for a few small differences and the alternative Albus and Harry's sixteen-year-old counterpart, it would've been the same.

They both settled and listened to Albus talking and telling his younger self the history of the Gaunts. He told a story about how a young Tom Riddle was conceived using a love potion, then turning into young Voldemort.

The scene changed again, and suddenly they were standing in front of Caractacus Burke, one of the founders of Borgin and Burkes, who was talking about Salazar Slytherin's locket that he had bought from a pregnant and desperate girl named Merope for only ten galleons.

"Riddle abandoned her when she stopped giving him the love potion," Harry murmured as the memory was drawing to an end. When Dumbledore looked at him with calm eyes, Harry added "Then she died in childbirth, and her son went to an orphanage and used his powers to punish people who annoyed him." With a flimsy smile, he said. "He was sadistic and cruel even when he was a child."

Dumbledore nodded slowly, while examining the locket that Merope sold. "Yes, I was the one who brought him the invitation here, I saw what he was." Albus paused, thoughtful. "And I was afraid of what he'd become. But never could even I imagine the things he'd do… the misery he'd cause"

The next memory started, causing Dumbledore to look at Harry with a raised eyebrow, questioning. After all, at first glance, they were witnessing a meeting between Professor Slughorn and a young Tom, but the next minute Harry knew he'd understand the importance of this meeting. And sure enough, as the conversation got to the important point, white eyebrows became knotted in worry and concentration. Dumbledore shook his head sadly when the memory suddenly went wrong, distorted.

"Slughorn changed the memory he gave you," Albus said. "He gave Tom the information didn't he?" Not waiting for Harry to answer he continued. "You must not judge Horace too badly, Harry, he's a good man, but he needs his trophies and anyone who knew Tom knew he was headed for greatness." He then added with a sad smile. "It wasn't this kind of greatness they had thought for him of course."

"But not you." Harry said. "You always knew better, were always careful and untrusting where he was concerned."

A flick of the eyes showed Albus's surprise at Harry's knowledge of his feelings, but a simple yes was all the answer he gave as the memory changed again.

"The same memory?" The Headmaster questioned.

"No it's the right one." When the memory finished, Dumbledore was sitting down, gripping his chair arms, in the office that was still in his companion's memories. His face was as white as a ghost, shock and old age marking his face now more than ever.

"So he did it, he made those… abominations?" The low voiced question was urgent.

"Yes. I'm sure he did it here too," Harry said after taking a deep breath.

Looking up, green eyes met aggrieved blue. Before neither could add anything more, both stilled to listen to the memory Dumbledore explain to a young Harry about how the seven Horcruxes were created and as Harry watched the memory play he saw the Headmaster he was with grow older and more tired with each word. Harry knew that the next memory would be harder, as it would confirm the resemblance between the two worlds and make Albus certain that they were dealing with Horcruxes here too.

It was also the hardest memory to decide that Harry needed to share with the Headmaster here.

"His hand is black." This was not what he was expecting, so Harry focused on his Headmaster's now black hand. He answered, "Yes, a dark curse did it." He didn't add any more and Dumbledore didn't urge him to.

The memory Harry was dreading the most came next.

It started with him making the promise to his Headmaster that he'd listen to all his orders then jumped to them apparating to the cliffs, near the cave that Tom used to torment his fellow Orphans. From that point on Harry made it a point to lower his head and not watch the memory play, aware of Dumbledore's glance at him as he did so.

He didn't need to watch the next events he knew them by heart and if he could he'd never see or relive them ever again.

He knew how the memory would play. It showed him and Dumbledore entering the cave, finding their way to the locket. Harry knew the instance Dumbledore realized the significance of this memory; it was the drawn breath when his counterpart grabbed the locket. Then it was fighting the inferi and stumbling out of the cave, Dumbledore weakened, and trusting Harry with his life to apparate them back.

The memory ended with them arriving at Hogsmeade and seeing the dark mark over the astronomy tower, over Hogwarts.

He knew the ending was abrupt, but Harry refused to show or share with the Headmaster how his counterpart died, not only was it a painful, private memory, it was also an opening to more explanations of why Snape killed him. Harry wasn't up to any more right now. This walk down memory lane had frayed his nerves enough.

When they were back in the Headmaster's office, both of them sat down engrossed in their own thoughts. Silence reigned.

The memories of Harry's meetings with his Headmaster during his sixth year, had been inevitable. It showed enough of a trust and companionship between him and his Headmaster, that Harry knew he'd be asked to help here. He was fine with that; he had known it would happen before deciding it was the right thing to do.

Now that Albus knew about the Horcruxes, his reaction showed that he had never suspected the matter. And why should he? After all, the diary had never left its hiding place and found its way to Ginny here, and there was no one-year old Harry to turn Voldemort away from his body eighteen years ago and leave him alive, but in spirit form.

No, nothing could've helped the Order here but concrete evidence, such as the locket he had already found in Grimmauld place.

"Professor," Harry's hesitant voice cut into Albus's thread of thought. Blue eyes met green for an instant too long. Harry lowered his eyes first and reached his hand for the Pensieve with a "May I?" His answer was in the form of the Pensieve being pushed carefully toward him. The next couple of minutes were spent with Dumbledore deep in thought while Harry took back his memories.

"Horcruxes." Albus said with a calm face, his eyes the only thing betraying his turmoil. "I never thought… never imagined that he'd go that far, become… but as evidenced he did, and he did it here too." A pause, then Albus looked straight at Harry again. "My counterpart must have trusted you a great deal to share this information with you. Not only did he give it freely. but to explain it by sharing memories!" Dumbledore sat forward in his chair with intense eyes focused on Harry. "How can that be? It's unconceivable! I cannot believe we are so different. Not after the seeing his behavior in the memories. But how do I explain giving such information to you, a sixteen year old at the time? Even now you are too young to hold such grave information in your heart!"

"Yes," Harry replied, seeing the expectant look directed at him. "He trusted me." He said curtly before adding. "The information I shared is relevant to this world as I believe you saw Headmaster."

"Otherwise you wouldn't have shared it, would you, Harry?" Harry knew that he didn't want a reply to the question. After all, both of them knew why he had shared the information now so Harry decided to lay it out there.

"You noticed the locket that we found in the cave?" Harry said, then specified further. "The Slytherin Locket?"

A pause, then Dumbledore answered slowly, thoughtfully, his eyes focused on Harry the whole time. "The locket that you and Sirius were fighting to have Kreacher hand over to you?" Then raising an eyebrow, he added. "Or am I wrong in assuming that it is the same one?"

"Yes, I believe it's the same one." Harry confessed. Then, thinking of way to explain his reasons, he added. "It's not just the fact that it looks the same, it's the feel of it. The darkness." Eyes narrowed while trying to explain a feeling, something you either felt or you didn't, but there was no need to as he saw the Headmaster nod with a thoughtful look.

"Not many know the 'feeling' that darkness gives. It's sometimes in objects and other times you can feel it coming from a person." Then with a thoughtful look at Harry, he added. "You're far too young to have the experience or the knowledge of how the Darkness 'feels.'"

"Its not age that determines whether or not someone knows the feeling, Headmaster." said Harry with a self-derisive smile. "It's the experience you have. If touched once by darkness, I believe you'll know when you encounter it again, 'feel' it for lack of a better word."

Dumbledore's stare after his rather heartfelt speech unnerved him, but before Harry felt like it went on for too long, Albus smiled, a soft genuine smile. "Again, my boy, you surprise me." Then with a determined light to his eyes, he said. "We have more to talk of. I'm sure you can give me more information of where you and your Headmaster believed the other Horcruxes are placed, but for now we need an Order meeting. I believe sharing that we have come by some information that might help us win this war might inspire some hope in their hearts and that is always good, don't you agree, my boy?"

"Yes. Yes I guess so." Harry said. He then saw Albus form a Patronus and send it to the Order members with the time of an Order meeting. Harry looked up feeling filled with dread. "Now? Tonight?"

"Why yes. No time like the present I say! One never knows when he'll next get to do what can be done presently."

Harry groaned inwardly at this rather philosophical statement accompanied by the until now missing bright sparkle in the Headmaster's eyes.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"An Order meeting? Now?"

Sirius's surprised exclamation was uttered as the last visage of the phoenix patronus sent by Dumbledore disappeared once it had finished relaying its message of a meeting and a time.

"In an hour," James's soft voice reminded Sirius that they were supposed to be keeping their voices down so that Remus could rest. "I wonder what happened. It's not like Dumbledore to not give us a decent amount of notice before a meeting."

"Probably wants to tell the Order about Remus." A shrug accompanied that statement.

"Maybe. Where's Harry?"

Sirius blinked slowly at this drastic change of subject, before looking around like he expected Harry to pop out from under a bed and shout surprise. "Well maybe he went to have a look at Hogwarts. I don't know, why?"

"Doesn't it seem weird that both him and Albus disappeared and now suddenly, no more than an hour later, we have a meeting?"

The serious tone, the Auror tone as Lily called it, made Sirius stand at attention and give James a weird look. "You think Harry has something to do with this?" He shook his head in exasperation. "Mate, really! He's just a boy who is lost and confused with this place. You should give him a break."

A glare was the only answer to his rather clever statement. Before he could say anything else, James stood, his eyes making sure that Poppy was still in her office, before turning and heading out.

"Where…?"

"To the Headquarters of course! Coming?"

"Yea, yea." Sirius jumped up and, with a last look at his still sleeping friend, followed James out.

Walking in silence, they reached the Headmaster's office and with "Bubble Wax" they were on their way up so they could use the floo to get to Headquarters. Before reaching the door, James's hand snapped out and clamped on Sirius's arm stopping him in his tracks. With a glare and a glance at the Headmaster's office door, Sirius could hear voices, Harry's and Albus's voice.

"…meeting. Can show them some of what you were so generous as to share with me my boy?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow in surprise and stood still beside his frozen friend listening as Harry answered so quietly that he almost didn't hear everything.

"We can just explain it can't we? Maybe we shouldn't tell them everything that we know. Some things are too dangerous for more than one or two people to know, Headmaster."

Silence. What were they talking about that could be that dangerous? James's intense expression showed more suspicion than Sirius's though, and he let out an inner sigh at his friend's suspicious nature. He had lost his trust in all that made people good and worthy to be given a chance. It seemed that with these few words, Harry showed he hid things, and James hated not to be in the know.

A sigh, heavy enough to be heard by Sirius snapped him back to the conversation he was eavesdropping on. "We've already found one, Headmaster. We can work at finding the rest later, without making Voldemort suspicious that we're onto him."

James raised a surprised eyebrow at his friend when Harry said the name, not many, if any at all, still said that name.

"You did not yet mention if you know where the rest are, Harry." The firm tone was a surprise after the previously calm and friendly tone.

"Yes… I know … "

Before either friend could hear anything more, they heard a chair scrap the floor and footsteps where coming their way, the door opened by Harry making both of them wince as light pierced their eyes after standing in the dark stairwell for so long.

"Are you two going to come in or do you like standing behind doors?" Was the sarcastic question, making James stiffen with anger and discomfort at being found eavesdropping like a child, by a child. Sirius was sure it made it worse that he was caught by his own kid. Well alternative kid.

Choking back a chuckle at the glaring discomfort of his friend, Sirius gave Harry a huge uncaring grin before entering the office to find Albus watching them with a smile on his face.

"Flooing to Headquarters, Sirius?"

Sirius heard shuffling behind him, letting him know that James had entered the room too, so he answered for both of them. "Yes, we'll meet you there?"

"Why such a rushed meeting? Do we have new information?" James's harsh question was not lost on any of them; he wanted to know what Harry told Albus.

"Yes, Harry has been generous enough to provide some new information that might help us, as I'll explain once the meeting starts." Raising a hand to stop James from arguing, Albus added. "At the meeting, my boy. There is no use saying things twice."

With a reluctant and harsh nod, James headed to the fireplace and flooed out without another word.

"Well then. I'll see you both later." With a grin and wave, Sirius too headed to the fireplace. But he couldn't help looking at the Pensieve sitting on the Headmasters table, his eyes flashing to Harry who watched him with careful eyes.

One last, curious look and he flooed away, leaving a silence behind him.

"How did you know we had company, if I may ask, my boy?" Albus's question broke the now awkward silence. Awkward after James behavior, Harry sighed inwardly, maybe the outing didn't foster any new trust between them after all.

"Sixth sense you might call it." Answered Harry with a shrug. And it was. He had felt something boring into his back, the small hairs on his neck stood, and he could call it nothing else but a sense of being watched, or in this case listened to.

"If you are ready my boy, we can leave for the meeting." Albus smiled at the grimace the younger man had on his face at that statement but persevered anyway. "I know from the memories you shared that you have more knowledge of the war than I previously assumed, as my counter part wouldn't have otherwise given such…"A reluctant pause echoed for a second before he continued. "Delicate information to a young man such as yourself."

When Harry gave no answer to his statements, Albus added. "When can you show me the Slytherin Locket?"

"After the meeting I think will be best." Harry answered carefully. "Are you going to tell the Order about the Horcruxes?"

A thoughtful expression filled Albus's face, but in the end he answered slowly. "No. No you were right I do not think it's advisable to do so. Such magic, Harry, it is not something I'd want even a young boy of nineteen to know about." His eyes bore into Harry's. "I find it … astonishing that my counterpart choose to share his knowledge, his discovery with a sixteen year old, as you were then …most surprising."

When Harry didn't answer the inherent question in those words, again, the Headmaster carefully added. "I feel that you have not shared all that you know, Harry. Do you have anything to add?" Harry knew that Albus used his name so that Harry would feel the importance of this talk. But was it the time to add more? Was it even relevant?

"Was there a Prophecy made nineteen years ago?" Harry asked quietly, looking up to see the Headmaster watching his change of expressions carefully. But Harry knew he showed nothing. His blank face had saved him from more than one awkward situation.

"A prophecy?" A raised eyebrow was all the reaction Harry got and less than he had anticipated. "Might I enquire what the prophecy said?"

"What happened eighteen years ago, Headmaster?" Harry then clarified when Albus raised an enquiring eyebrow at his seemingly out of nowhere question. "To my counter part? How did he die?"

Albus put down his teacup, and a sad tired look filled his eyes. When he looked up after putting his empty tea cup down, nothing but sadness showed.

"I believe you've noticed James's … peculiar behavior towards you."

"Peculiar isn't what I'd call it." Harry said. "Angry, offensive and aggressive, maybe." He finished with a mocking smile, at himself and his not-relationship with his so called 'father.'

"Yes. You might call it that." Rubbing a hand through his beard, Albus gave Harry a long stare. "Eighteen years ago we got …intelligence that Voldemort had decided to attack the Potters. Now this was not a surprise, you understand that each and every Order member lives with the knowledge and realization that he is making a target of himself, his family, and his friends." Albus paused with a penetrating look focused on Harry. "But what was different this time was that the target was young Harry Potter."

A quick glance at Harry from blue eyes, showed a calm young man, with a nod as if he was only confirming a suspicion. The Headmaster continued. "Of course, after I got this information, I made it clear to the Potters that their current defenses were not sufficient for this focused of a plan, or attack if you will. Unfortunately I will say only that the defenses we did give the Potters were broken when a friend of your father betrayed him, coming into their home when James was the only one in it along with young Harry, and not only aiding Voldemort in entering the house but committing the murder of a helpless child in front of his injured and impotent father."

Harry's head was filled with noise. "In front of him. Mr. Potter, James, was there, conscious when my counterpart was killed?"

"Unfortunately, yes." The lines on the old Headmaster's face seemed deeper than a minute ago. "And I say unfortunately because no father should see his son killed brutally in front of his eyes by one of his best friends no less while he begged and was helpless to do anything."

The silence that fell after this last statement was heavy, thick with unspoken things, questions. But one statement kept echoing in Harry head "by one of his best friends?"

A look of soft enquiry lifted Albus's eyebrows, but he answered. "Yes, I find it surprising no one mentioned it before now. Young Harry was killed by a man that goes by the name of Peter Pettigrew."

When the Headmaster got no reaction to this either, he added. "He's a former Order member whom I'm afraid turned spy to Voldemort. He was once called best friend by your father and his other two friends. You might know him by the nickname given to him in his school days by them, they called him Wormtail."

Wormtail killed him. Pettigrew killed, not him, the other Harry, his counterpart. Killed him. That coward killed him. These word echoed back and again in his head.

"Are you alright my boy?" Dumbledore's soft question intruded, snapped him out of his shock.

"Yes. Just surprised." Harry answered half distracted by his anger, his frustration that in every tragedy concerning his family Pettigrew seemed to feature as the main motivator.

After a long stare, Albus nodded, his hand distractedly smoothing his beard. "If you will, I believe we need to leave now so not to be late to the meeting." With a hand he indicated the fireplace. "It is better to leave further talk until later. But I must ask you before we depart that you not open this subject up with James. I'm afraid, as you have noticed from his behavior, this is, understandably, quite a sensitive subject."

"Yes, yes of course." Not like they had heart to heart or shared confidences.

Standing, Harry took a deep breath. He knew before talking to Albus that this evening was going to be hard. But now, after this new piece of information, it was going to be brutal.

Alas, attendance was not optional at this stage after his talk with Albus. So deal with it he must.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o


	15. Tell us Everything

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**"Tell Us Everything"**

Harry Flooed into Grimmauld place's kitchen for the order meeting, so concentrated on listening to the chatter coming from the people already gathered in the living room he missed the one with him in the kitchen, but as Dumbledore came after him and headed to the living room too, Harry noticed the redheaded girl sitting the dark corner by herself.

"Hi" the soft voiced greeting came with no eye contact, as Ginny who was sitting with her legs against her chest and her arms wrapped around them, kept her head turned toward the door as if waiting for someone.

Feeling awkward by the greeting from the girl he considered his friend and then girlfriend for some time, he returned an equally softly "hey."

"The others are upstairs if you wanna join them."

Again she didn't even raise her head or look at him, so unlike his Ginny's direct, even confrontational kind of speech.

"Umm no thanks I'm joining the meeting today."

This got him a reaction as her head snapped up and she looked him in the eye. Shaking her head as if castigating herself for being stupid she snorted "no you're not."

Harry stood still, one eyebrow slowly going up in an okaaay moment, not knowing how to handle her, then turning he started walking toward the kitchen door following Dumbledore's exit.

"You know they'll notice you there and kick you out" Ginny said before he made it out "you can ask Fred and George if you don't believe me."

With a backward glance he answered shortly "I believe you."

Before he took another step, Sirius, as was his want, burst into the kitchen then stopping abruptly before he almost crashed right into Harry.

"Here you are! Well come on, Dumbledore wants you in there before we start the meeting." Then catching sight of Ginny he added "hey there Gin" and left just as suddenly.

Harry, ignoring the wide startled look he was getting from the oddly subdued Ginny, followed Sirius out the kitchen, then with pronounced reluctance and at a more sedate pace, he walked into the meeting room where he was met with noise.

People were talking, some asking questions loudly, with a sense ofapprehension. They expected bad news.

His presence seemed to draw attention, some looked his way with surprise and raised eyebrows, some frowned at him, Moody and James, and others grinned or waved his way, Sirius and Tonks, But mostly he was ignored.

Clearing his throat loudly, Albus disengaged from the group who had surrounded him on his entrance with questions. "Why don't we sit down, all will be explained in a minute" and with that last statement he looked at Professor McGonagall who stiffened and walked to the long table ready to seat the members of the Order.

Harry looked around as everyone took their seats and hesitated, unsure of where and with which group he should sit, but a "here Harry" decided it.

He grimaced not pleased, when the place indicated by Albus was at the head of the table, not daring to look up and see the reactions or conclusions this action brought.

"I know all of you are curious as to why I called upon this meeting, and I'll explain in a minute" everyone watched Albus patiently and before Harry could avoid it, as he did since entering the room, his eyes caught Lily's and as if waiting for it she smiled gently at him, awkwardly he smiled back.

"I came by new information" a look around the room to stress the importance of this information Albus continued "from Harry."

This of course was met with mutters and whispers and, then surprisingly it was McGonagall and not Moody that said "and why should we give a child's information any weight Albus" she ended this statement with reproach, Harry thought amused, only McGonagall would reproach the Headmaster and feel she had the right to do so.

"As I'll explain Minerva my dear, I actually didn't think we had much to learn from Harry but after our little informative talk this afternoon I came by some evidence that his world is so similar in some points that we should not only listen to him but learn how much progress they made in their fight against Voldemort."

Ignoring the flinches and gasps, he raised a hand to stop some of the Order members from replying "in a minute all of you can ask as many questions as you would like but first the information I gathered you here to tell you about. Perhaps Harry can help me with anything I miss" turning to Harry.

Harry nodded reluctantly. He saw the point of this meeting and his presence now. It wasn't meant to give hope to the Order, as Albus explained in his office, but rather it was meant to put pressure on him by people he knew, by members who he felt were as close as family to him and thus make him give them more information than he wanted to give, more than he gave even Albus before.

And that was something he should have realized earlier, after all he knew Albus was curious about his world and how it might help them but after he provided some information, critical information, Albus finally realized that he shouldn't underestimate the nineteen-year-old boy they had for a visitor. He also finally realized that Harry was important and that he mattered in the scheme of things.

"We all know that we have fought relentlessly against Voldemort and his Death eaters, but unfortunately we haven't been able to gain ground against him, and any time we thought we were close to taking him down, to injure him severely enough to cripple him and his followers, we were met, frustratingly, with more attacks and Voldemort as he always was."

"We know all that." Moody muttered, still watching Harry, as he did since he entered the room.

Nodding Albus continued "yes, but what I haven't shared with you is a suspicion, if you may, a realization that I had no way to confirm, to explore, because I had no way to." Seeing how everyone watched him now with suspension, "I suspected, and after talking to Harry, I know" he emphasized "that Voldemort has taken steps to immortality."

The uproar was more than what Harry expected. He saw Molly, who he had ignored since entering the room, sitting with Arthur and Charlie, become as pale as milk, her eyes filling with tears, because he knew her worry for her family and children just became greater. Averting his gaze, he watched Kingsley standing up talking in a low hissing voice to the Prewett twins who stood shoulder to shoulder, one glowering and the other shouting. But what took his attention the most, was that James sat still holding Lily's hand while Sirius, face red, hands clenched stood glaring at Albus who was besieged by Moody and McGonagall.

Maybe Albus asked him to join this meeting to save him and not to manipulate him as he had previously suspected. With this in mind, he cleared his throat in an attempt to grab the attention of everyone in the room.

While sitting upright in his seat, making his eyes as emotionless as they could be, he looked at each member as they sat slowly under his watch before speaking.

"Screaming, and throwing accusations isn't going to help you win this war." He saw some faces turning red at his reprimand so he continued and said what would get their attention most. "Since I came to this world I have been looking around for a way home, to go back to my family and friends, but maybe…" he paused a second as all of them now watched him in suspense "maybe" he repeated "I was meant to come here for a reason and that is to help you finish this war, win this war."

He heard some snorts, but most of the members were silent, watching him with serious eyes, listening, which was more than Harry could hope for. After all they were Aurors and veterans listening to a nineteen-year-old child, as they called him.

What he missed was the speculative way Albus watched him take charge of the meeting holding the attention of the members with an inbred authority and leadership that if asked he would probably deny as ludicrous.

Still watching Harry, Albus saw him look around at the Order members looking for signs of disagreement and with an air of watchfulness that a commander takes while looking for the _doubting Thomas_ amid his troops to use to make a point and thus removing all doubts from the rest, he saw Harry turning to Alastor.

"Moody you once told me something I took to heart and never forgot."

"And what's that?" the gruff doubting question came from a face with narrowed eyes, none missing the familiarity Harry showed from the way he spoke.

"You told me" and now he smiled softly, fondly, making the watchers watch him more closely, surprising everyone in the room at the transformation in the face of the closed of boy they were used to, "To always be prepared, to always have all the information, after all it won't matter to the Death-eaters if you're a child or an adult when they cast one the unforgivables."

"And when did I teach you that?" Moody eyed him warily

Harry grinned "fourth year" not mentioning the fact that it was a Death-eater disguised as him "You didn't care about ministry regulations, you taught us how the unforgivables work and got so far as to use one of them on us, the Imperius Curse."

"Merlin!" McGonagall gasped, and turned to glare at Moody who snorted in disgust at her reaction, and the others mutterings.

"So now that that's said" Harry had gone back to the cold eyed position "I think you should listen to what we have to say with open minds, after all what does it matter that this information come from a 'child' as long as it'll help you."

Seeing that that statement had their attention, and now that he knew he had the most difficult members listening to him he lowered his head for a minute collecting his thoughts. "In my second year in Hogwarts the Chamber of Secrets was opened" ignoring the renewed mutterings of disbelief he raised his head and with a cold stare silenced them. "The attacks started simple, Filch's cat was stupefied" hearing a snort, he ignored Sirius and continued with a serious tone "it may have been amusing" he flicked Sirius a glance "but then came other attacks, Colin Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley, then Headless Nick."

"Gryffindor's ghost!" came the exclamation "but he's a ghost!"

"Yes" Harry answered "and everyone was panicking, after all if a ghost could be petrified it meant no one was safe."

"Was anyone else petrified?" Molly asked softly

Harry met her eyes with sad expression on his face "It continued and the next attack was on Hermione, my best friend, and Penelope Clearwater."

Ignoring the sharp gazes he continued "Dumbledore saw no way to stop the attacks so the news that the school was about to close started circulating. The governors were seen often in the school and parents started taking their kids from Hogwarts. It was no longer safe."

"How did it end?" Molly asked, she had become the representative of the other members.

"With the biggest attack" pause "Ginny Weasley was taken into the Chamber of secrets," at the gasp coming from Molly he said quickly "she was saved, but what Dumbledore found out made him realize that Voldemort was not trying to achieve immortality, but that he already was immortal."

"How did he find out that?" James asked.

Giving James a long look, Harry replied directly "before the start of her first year Ginny was slipped a book, a diary of Tom Marvolo Riddle."

At some of the bewildered looks he explained as was explained to him once, raising his wand he wrote the Toms full name with red glowing letters, then with wave of his wand the letters rearranged themselves to create 'I AM LORD VOLDEMORT'. The gasps came again.

"She had You-Know-Who's Diary?" Charlie asked with a croak.

"Yes, as she wrote in it, she was manipulated all year long and eventually he weakened her to the point that he could possessed her." He continued with the gasps and whispers seeing the pale faces of the Weasley's "she attacked students followed by black outs, not remembering anything from those times, and at the last minute, when the diary was destroyed when we thought she was saved, he almost took her life force." Harry said with a pained look.

"You seem close to her." said Moody

"Of course I am, Ron is one of my best friends and… and I knew Ginny since first year." he finished lamely to raised eyebrows and speculation, he felt his face reddening but with effort he stiffened controlling himself.

"As I was saying," he directed them back to the important part of this conversation "Albus knew when he saw that diary what Tom was up to, it was a sort of evidence to it, and with the years since with research he knew for sure that Tom has achieved immortality."

"Why should we believe you?" Moody's suddenly aggressive stance was not lost on Harry, not betraying the tension running through him with all that information he answered, "Why should I lie about it?"

"Immortal? Saying that is like saying this war is over and he's won already. Maybe you're a supporter. A Death-eater." he finished glaring at him with both eyes.

Well that was easier to believe than believing that their enemy is immortal and so impossible to kill.

"I didn't say he couldn't be defeated" He answered

"I assure you Alastor, Harry is no supporter of Voldemort, and I do not think that's what he meant when he said Tom was immortal." Albus intervened who seemed much more relaxed than himself, Harry thought grumpily.

"Albus I do not think that such a young man should be part of this meeting. If he is done giving the information he has then he should leave the rest for us to handle this." McGonagall and her oh so level and cool voice changed the subject from war and immortal dark lords to protecting his innocence?

"I prefer he stays Minerva" raising a hand to stop her, Lily and several others from objecting "as he had showed me some things from his world, memories, I think you seeing some of it too might be helpful and might help you believe it, if my word is without merit to you."

"No! Of course we trust your word Albus."

"Lily my dear, thank you, but some things need to be felt and in this case seen and heard so it'll be believable." Said Dumbledore, making Harry wince inwardly as, he had hoped there would be no need for anyone to see his memories. However, landing a bomb of how Voldemort was immortal would tax even the most trusting of people. And this bunch did not believe in their leader as Harry had already seen and realized.

"Harry?" he turned to see all eyes turned to him, he had missed some of the talk, but no matter he could guess what or who it was about.

Avoiding the eyes he stood up turning to Dumbledore "Fine, I'll show them my memories, but I'm not leaving them in the pensive." Ok so he was being petty, but he deserved to be, Harry thought rebelliously, Damn it he didn't want to show around his memories again!

"How will you show us, if you're not go put them in a pensive?" was the confused soft tone of Tonks.

A snort came from Moody "there are other ways to share a memory girl, without leaving it lying about in a Pensieve. But most don't use it as it has side effects."

"Oh. Didn't know that." Came Tonks sheepish answer before Moody continued ignoring her and focusing on Harry now "most don't use it as it can be unpredictable. It can show too much if your thoughts wander during."

"My thoughts won't wander." was the curt answer, Occlumency wasn't only to protect his mind from Legilimency but also to organize his thoughts and think only of what is important, it had helped in Auror training, and it'll help him now to extract only the memories he wanted and no more.

With a nod of his head toward Harry, Albus moved back leaving him some room at the head of the table to share said memories.

Closing his eyes slowly, ignoring the excited chatter now permeating the room, first he first started mapping the room, it's inhabitants and where every and each person stood in relation to him in his mind. Taking a minute to calm himself down, he brought forth the memories he gave to Albus but removed anything to do with the word Horcruxes. Neither one of them wanted to make this knowledge public even if it was only to Order members. Knowing why Voldemort hasn't been destroyed yet and that they were making progress in ending the war was enough.

He organized the memories he was about to share with them and, then locked every other thing out, raising his wand slowly he pointed it at his temple, he could feel the stares become more focused on him, ignoring the growing focus on him and with a whispered word he started pulling his wand away from his temple, spreading his arm out from his body so that he stood with his wand arm spread to the left.

At first nothing happened then the silver thread began to amass to a silver shape, it was suspended in air and unmoving a part of it still connected to his wand. With a swirl the middle of the silver square began to become transparent and showing some characters inside.

Opening his eyes, Harry saw every Order member fixated on the image inside the now big mirror like shape, but instead of reflections it showed people inside it.

It started the same with the Gaunts, first confusion permeated the room, until Albus supplied information along with the memories. At one point when they realized that Voldemorts father was a muggle, surprise and incredulity was evident on every face.

The meeting with Professor Slughorn was shown but Harry showed only the real one. Thankfully no mention of the Horcruxes was made, but only of the dark, dark magic that made immortality possible.

The memory with Albus's black hand drew horrified gasps, and muttered questions, but silence came again when the next scene showed a young teenager running through the corridors of Hogwart, his head down, so only his black hair was visible of him.

A gasp came from Lily, when his younger self raised his head. He looked so scrawny and undernourished; Harry thought understanding why Molly used to force feed him on his few visits to their home. But it wasn't only that, his eyes showed maturity he never saw in kids his age, his younger self looked haunted.

They watched as young Harry shouted the password at the gargoyle and ran up the stairs and banged on the doors to the Headmasters office with anger blazing in his fierce green eyes, before the "enter" came Harry banged into the office.

There were some grunts of 'rude' but before Harry could hear more he closed his eyes so he'll be able to concentrate, as he needed to jump forward in this memory. His younger self asked "you found one?", before he shifted the memory forward again and now it showed Albus eyeing his younger self. "What has upset you?" Albus's voice and young Harry's clipped answer of "nothing" came and were gone in the next instant. He shifted the memory forward again.

"Are you showing us the memory or not?" asked an impatient Moody.

With a glare thrown towards Moody's way, Harry concentrated again.

"Harry you were never a good at Occlumency …" but before the other Dumbledore finished young Harry burst out in anger "Snape", with a grimace Harry moved the memory forward, maybe a pensive would've been better, he could've edited the start of this memory at least.

"Well Snape makes me mad too kiddo." Sirius said with cheer.

"Yes. But none of us attack the Headmaster about it with such insolence." Kingsley said with a weird look in his eyes "and you're too familiar with the Headmaster."

Ignoring them, at least it didn't show why he was angry, he remembered discovering that Snape was the Death-Eater listening in to the Prophecy sixteen years ago being given to Dumbledore by Professor Trelawney. That he was the one who ran back to his master and told him about it, which resulted in Voldemort's to attack on the Potters on Halloween when he was a child.

"AND YOU LET HIM TEACH HERE AND HE TOLD VOLDEMORT…"

Again with great effort Harry fought not to think about that but it was no use Lily was looking at him along with Albus and others with disturbed eyes. Not only had he said Voldemorts name but he was yelling, yelling at the great Albus Dumbledore. His importance in the scheme of things just skyrocketed, in Albus's eyes at least.

A shadowy image of Albus trying to calm him while young Harry paced the room came and was gone in an instant, then at last came the part he wanted to show. Albus's warnings to run, to hide, and do anything Albus asked of while they went on this venture.

They left and the scene progressed with everyone's attention on the two figures in the mirror. The scene with Dumbledore so weak brought a silence like no other, but the scene with the Locket in the bottom of the basin brought them out of their horrified and grievous silence.

Sirius's shout of surprise and Moody saying "the boy has it, he took it from under you're nose Black" broke the watchful silence.

The last memory to play ended with Harry trying to calm a weak Albus, and Albus muttering "I am not worried Harry, I am with you."

The memory, especially the ending got a stronger reaction than Harry predicted, The Order members even looked at him differently, some still suspicious of the young man who gained another Dumbledore's trust to this degree, others with astonishment at that trust, and the rest were horrified by the main event they now realized was true.

Voldemort was immortal, and that just put them one step ahead of Voldemort, by knowing his secret. However, it also made their fight look that much more hopeless.

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**Author Note:** This is the Beta-ed version of the chapter, a BIG thank you to my new very patient Beta. I'm sure you noticed the improvements… Enjoy…


	16. A Time to Decide

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**"A time to Decide"**

"It's ridiculous! The boy is obviously hiding something from us. First he talks like he knows the Order, then he knows delicate information. Doesn't it show you that something about him is suspicious?"

Harry was sure of one thing at this point of time. Moody might have taken a step forward towards believing where he came from, but he had taken two steps back in trusting him.

"What the hell are you talking about Mad-eye! Have you lost your mind?" an outraged Sirius exclaimed, upset by the accusations flying at Harry and at how Harry, instead of defending himself, was calmly observing the scarred Auror. "He's a boy, a nineteen year old boy why the hell would you think he's hiding information that can help us? He just showed us some of his memories for Merlin's sake!"

This is getting worse, Harry winced inwardly; His Godfather was defending him from a crime he had committed. He was hiding things, but things he didn't think they had any business knowing.

"Why?" Moody yelled at the whole room while shrugging off Kingsley's calming hand and avoiding looking at a surprisingly calm Albus. The headmaster did not try to stop him, he believes I know more Harry realized in a sudden intuitiveness.

"Why?" he said again this time using a softer tone of voice that didn't sound less threatening, his eye was swirling fast showing his inner feelings. "Think Black! First baby Harry is targeted in our world, here, not James and Lily, no, not them but a baby!"

A pause echoed in the silence now residing in the room, as everyone looked around at each other but avoided looking towards the Potters now that the subject had turned to them.

"They've been after the Potters for more than a year and then… _He_ finds them, and what does he do? Ha? He engineers a theatrical, threatening and extremely dangerous, but still a theatrical situation that ends with only Baby Harry being killed! Not killing the one that poses the most threat to him like Auror Potter who had been fighting endlessly with the Order and is of a well known light family, no a _b-a-b-y_!" He emphasized the last word with each nuance looking at the members listening to him with all their senses.

"Why? Why make all that effort? Spying, kidnapping, torturing and then killing anyone he suspected with information of the Potters. Order members like Dorcas Meadows dead, Caradoc Dearborn tortured to death, Benjy Fenwick who knows where his body is or if we will ever find any piece of it, all of them and more who survived by chance all were asked about the Potters! There were Death-eaters interrogating anyone who might know where the Potters were hiding. Malfoy even went as far as trying to get information from Aurors, the ministry workers, anyone. So desperate that he finally... finally made their best friend turn against them. Why make all that effort? For what?" Mad-eye repeated, as Harry felt dread rise inside him of what he knew was coming next.

"Why?" was the frustrated shout again making Tonks jump eyes wide and stuck on the scarred Auror "Why then after finding them, instead of coming through with the threat that he can get to anyone, even the most protected ones like the Potters, he ends up killing a baby! A threat is most effective when you kill someone _the other side values_, a baby as important as he is, isn't valuable in a war!"

Dumbledore still in the same relaxed position with the same indulgent calm expression drawn on his face, did not provide a response or a comment to this. Harry felt a fire start in the pit of his stomach. The headmaster already had these thoughts prior to the meeting and wanted the pressure of the Order on him so they'd help him reveal everything. That will not happen, Harry thought furious working at keeping his stance relaxed and uncaring all the while anger boiled like acid in his stomach.

His Headmaster would never have done this to him, but then again his Headmaster knew him and cared for him. This Headmaster and these people don't know him and he hadn't made any effort to change that. If they felt they needed the information he had to help them and their families they would go to such lengths.

"What are you getting at Moody?" James's clipped question cut through the tension filled silence.

"Think!"Moody exclaimed as he glared at Harry. "Now we have another 'Harry Potter' who suddenly possess information that no other teenager would've been given. A boy of sixteen was given such dangerous, sensitive information that Albus just gave us the highlights. But no, not Harry freaking Potter, he gets to know all the details."

Looking around franticly Mad-eye seized the realization and comprehension appearing in some eyes.

Looking at Harry again he snapped now that he felt that he had the Order members support "What are you hiding boy? Tell us?"

Harry felt his eyes tightening minutely, taking a deep breath he relaxed his facial muscles one by one. Frustration thrummed in his body, how the hell did he get into this damn situation. Couldn't he even give some information to help without getting himself in trouble?

Even Sirius was looking at him desperately like Harry might stand up any second now and explain it all away. He did need to say something and Albus was obviously not going to help him calm things down.

The whole Order were whispering and glancing at him now, some glancing suspiciously at him, others glaring, mainly Kingsley and of course Moody who looked ready to snap to action any minute.

"So am I supposed to explain why my counter part was targeted? Is that what I'm asked to do? Because frankly Mad-eye that's ludicrous, I've been here for little more than a month." Harry said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. Yes I am" snapped Alastor with a fierce frown at the mocking tone of his voice "I think you know why baby Harry was targeted here and killed and I think you know why your Albus would trust you with such information. The question is why aren't you telling us the reasons?"

Silence echoed his last words and made Harry take in the faces that looked at him expectantly, but before he could retort with another denial, a trembling voice spoke up making him wince.

"Do you know why my son was killed?"

Harry looked at Lily, feeling his stomach cramp with dread, what the hell should he do now.

Later Harry would thank his lucky stars as in that moment Albus stood up abruptly as an otter Patronus appeared in front of him. Harry felt his spine snap up as seconds after what felt like forever he heard Hermione's voice echo through the room, frantic and high pitched. "Headmaster, the Aurors are being sent to Diagon Alley. An attack. I have no more details."

The silence this time exploded into organized action that was accompanied by ringing and a weird flashing red light coming from the watches of several Members of the Order. The Aurors among the members were being called into action.

Still assimilating hearing one of his best friend's voice after such a long time. It took Harry a minute to recognize the way the members where calling to each other and joining in groups, or even that there was an actual live attack. An attack. War. Voldemort.

"Its been too long. We should have known that when it happens, it'll be big." Were the frantic words of Tonks who was the only one frazzled as every member of the Order organized immediately into well known groups like trained soldiers, while Dumbledore and Moody used a couple of rusty peaces of metal and other knick knacks kept in a tin box to make portkeys to hand out to each group.

"Diagon Alley, Merlin…"

"Get in a group girl." Moody growled

Harry watched Tonks running to Shaklebots group, as Arthur along with Charlie left in the next instant while a tearful Molly's watched them and then her twin brothers go.

The Potters left with Sirius, but not before he caught Sirius's eyes that as before, watched him with intense inquiry. Their conversation wasn't over.

One by one the groups disappeared all of them holding expressions of tension on their faces. At the last second, Harry saw Dumbledore and Moody taking hold of the last portkey.

The words "decide, decide, decide" were pounding away in his head as he watched Albus talking to Moody in a fast dialogue that had Moody nodding impatiently, his thoughts already on the incoming battle. But Harry had already decided. Hadn't he? He was getting involved. He was already talking about his life to familiar strangers so why was he watching them leave like he was disconnected.

His vision clearing as he took that last step to get involved. He took a couple of slow steps toward Albus, then a fast trot as he saw Albus uttering the last syllable of 'Diagon' and in what felt like slow motion he grabbed the portkey as it activated.

The last thing he saw as he felt the hook- like tug take him off his feet were startled blue eyes.

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As was his habit with portkeys, Floo and all other magical transportation, Harry gracefully landed face first on the dirty ground. But for once his inelegance while traveling was a good thing as he felt and saw with half an eye a brick fly over his head, sent from the opening of the alley they had landed in.

The next second he was yanked off the ground with a furious shout right into his ears making him dizzy. "You damn idiotic, stupid Boy!" the last word was screamed right in his face by a furious Moody.

Dumbledore with hard unsympathetic blue eyes said "Stay hidden here, we'll get you when the fighting is over. Don't risk yourself." With that Moody pushed him more forcefully than was necessary into a corner where the buildings met. The alley near Gringotts, he recognized now that he had a minute to look around him.

The mad Auror and Dumbledore not waiting for his reply were gone with a swish of their cloaks as if his obedience was a given. Harry forgave them for their way of thinking, after all if any other nineteen year old boy was met with the anger he felt radiating at him from these two men, he would've cowered and did as told.

Tough. Harry snaked slowly toward the opening into Diagon alley. The lights were already on in the main street, even as dusk was descending on the shopping alley, but what he couldn't miss now as he looked out were the pain-filled screams of the injured, the shouts and grunts of the fighting, and the chaos filling the small area in front of Gringotts and spilling into the side streets.

Ignoring his immediate reaction to rush into the fighting between the black cloaked figures and the Aurors, civilians and all who were caught in the battle, he quickly cast his well learned and used invisibility spell, then stepped out, skirting the skirmishes, almost getting slammed into the ground as two people, bloody and crying, stumbled past him into the Alley he just left, to take cover no doubt.

Diagon Alley was a mess, he saw the order members he was just talking to fighting along with red robed Aurors.

Gringotts had closed its doors sometime during the fight, as it was too early for normal closing hours. To prevent Death-eaters from entering which also prevented civilians from taking shelter, Harry thought as his mouth twisted cynically. Money was their priority not life.

The fighting was also spilling up the stairs of Gringotts where Harry saw Voldemort standing with a regal-like pose, viewing the fight and watching Dumbledore as the Headmaster fought several Deatheaters, outnumbering him five to one, and preventing him from reaching the Dark lord.

Making a decision Harry moved to Dumbledore, stunning and hexing two Deatheaters with a quick no-nonsense "stupefy" not halting or slowing as the Auror who was fighting them paused for a second before turning to his next opponent.

Helping as much as he could while moving closer, a plan for helping Dumbledore formulated as he came closer to him. If he freed the Headmaster from this fight, Dumbledore can fight Voldemort force him to flee.

If Voldemort leaves, then the Death eaters will panic and start leaving too. Cut off the head of the snake and you kill the snake.

Going left around a group fight, he was taken off guard momentarily when he was hit with a stunned body, that took him to the ground with a such force that he just managed to keep a hold on his wand. His breath whooshed out in a gasp as he turned his head slowly to see who hit him. The flowing red hair cascading down his face along with the warmth of blood made his heart sink in fast thud, and panic clutched him. Long red hair, Lily.

His frozen body finally made a move as he raised a hand to help her off him so he'd be able to see how injured she was but his movement froze again when he heard a familiar and hateful voice taunting the injured woman.

Bellatrix was obviously in pain as Lily had managed to injure her. He knew from the noticeable strain in her voice as that couldn't be hidden behind the gloating or the victory of her words.

"Not so strong are you now Mudblood, what nothing to say" a high pitched laugh filled the air making Harry wrinkle his nose in disgust and hate "Say Hi to your baby boy when you see him. bye-bye now."

Freeing his arm Harry pointed his wand toward the area her voice came from and shot, with gritted teeth, a binding spell toward her.

Hearing the sound of a body drop, and a furious screech, he knew his aim had proved true. He moved his mother slightly while muttering a reversal to his invisibility spell so she'd see him and know she's safe.

Laying her back on the ground as he got up, her body was limp but her green eyes were open and aware and snapped to his face, then widened in horror at seeing him in the middle of the fight.

She was just stunned and in pain Harry realized as he checked carefully the injury on her head. As he revived her with a quick "_finite Incantatem,_" he heard her mutter his name groggily, still not fully aware, as he finally found the portkey and using the designed word he ignored her frantic gaze as she was sent back to the head quarters where her injuries would be treated.

The other woman's limp body with her black hair spread around her beautiful but still hateful head was within reach. He turned to see her watching him with wide black eyes.

"The dead rise." she whispered throatily her eyes not leaving his face as he stood up.

He jerked at realizing that she seemed to be analyzing him and his appearance, not only sane but clever.

A sane and clever Bellatrix, Merlin this is bad, with a muttered profanity he tied her with an altered magical binding spell that worked specifically for the caster so that only he can release her.

"Who are you? A Potter…" her question made his eyes snap to her narrowed ones, he saw her eyes widen as she met his eyes and saw the glowing green color.

No one could say that either his mother's eyes or his were regular ones.

He felt hate well inside him, he had her, Voldemort's right hand, the vicious vindictive…

"Harry?" her eyes narrowed even more as Charlie's surprised voice reached them, '_Harry_' he saw her mutter under her breath, her eyes stuck on him not even moving to Charlie who now stood beside him.

Constant vigilance Potter, he cursed himself for losing awareness of his surroundings as he saw a bleeding and limping Charlie leave his side and move closer to Bellatrix. The next instance Charlie knelt grabbed her roughly as Bellatrix made a sneering comment to him that he didn't hear but made his face tighten in anger. "Prison" he said and she disappeared with an angry "filthy blood …".

Charlie turned to him, his face still tight with anger, but what ever he was about to say was lost in the Onslaught from a group of fighting Deatheaters and Aurors crashing into them.

Elbowing a much taller Deatheater in the gut as he ducked out of this fight, Harry turned to where he had last seen Dumbledore and he found him still engaged fighting with more deatheaters than before but with Moody at his side.

Glancing at where he last saw Voldemort, he was startled to see James, Sirius and Kingsley fighting him.

Voldemort's laugh echoed in his ears as with a flick of his wand he sent a weak and bloody Sirius flying back to hit a wall with a crack that made Harry flinch in horror as Sirius's body twitched and then went limp.

His decision made. He started walking as fast as he could with the fights around him, toward the main fight.

His heart pounding a frantic beat in his ears. He started running, ramming into people, and pushing them away, using his slight and thin body to move faster that ever, discarding caution and his training as he saw Kingsley being incapacitated with a Cruico that made his screams rise above the chaos that filled the air.

Running, almost at the foot of the stairs to Gringotts, he didn't notice the person coming at him till the curse hit him in the leg, falling as fast as he had been making progress, he managed to break his fall with his hands, but his leg was on fire, the injury filled him with an excruciating pain he had long since felt.

As he stumbled and fell to his knees, adrenalin still pumping in his veins, he managed to hear the Deatheater standing over him say "well well well, its not Potter but a baby child imposter" before Harry cut his laugh short with a rarely used spell that had the Deatheater clutching at his chest then falling in a faint.

He'll live but the feeling of almost having your heart explode won't disappear for awhile. Child indeed! Not glancing to see which deatheater he got, he turned towards Voldemort only to feel his eyes widen in horror as he saw James on his knees, wandless, with Voldemort talking to him with a victorious smile. He saw the words form on Voldemorts thin lips "_Avada K_…"He didn't know how he did it with his injured leg but in an instant he was in front of a horrified James, his wand already raised with an "_Expelliarmus_" leaving his lips at the green light now moving toward him.

Déjà vu.

He might be older, and more experienced but some things were more instinct than experience, like throwing the same spell he used when he was fourteen years old when faced with an incoming killing curse. Just as it had occurred before, the red and green light met in the middle and clashed in a bright golden light that snapped and flashed.

Golden ropes of light flashing bright started to circling them one by one in a cage of golden seclusion, cutting them bit by bit from the fighting and the people around them, enclosing them in a different fight. A fight of will.

This time Harry had the advantage. He knew what was happening, he knew his opponent, and Voldemort knew nothing of him or of this situation, he would win because losing was not an option.

He ignored the voices, James calling his name, Death eaters asking Voldemort for instructions, he was sure one of the voices was the fierce whisper of Malfoy.

The ropes of golden light continued to snap out of the center of the clashing spells and spreading while tightening the circle surrounding them. He saw Voldemort's eyes widen as one of the golden ropes left the circle like lightning and flew out into the crowd of fighters causing them to disperse as to avoid the unknown light.

The next golden lightening caused a crackling fire that had people scrambling away from it in fear. No water from the wands of the surrounding aurors managed to put it out and as Harry saw in horror, another golden lightening snapped off and hit a shield held by an Auror and then hit a Deatheater who wasn't protecting himself with a shield, causing his anguished and pain-filled scream to echo through the now silent Alley.

What the hell was going on, it wasn't like this the last time.

He turned and focused on the red eyes watching him now with furious anger and, Harry detected, a little panic.

Voldemort, while muttering "you're dead boy," tried to cut the light connection between them by pulling his wand up suddenly and that had Harry refocusing on fight between them and not their surroundings.

When the line didn't snap at his attempt, Voldemort's eyes widened even more and then narrowed in calculation "Who are you?"

Harry refused to answer. Even a cliché' like "your worst nightmare" seemed too much right now as he concentrated on making the connection stronger willing his spell to inch closer towards Voldemorts wand.

"Stop now and I may let you live." Voldemort's said as the red light inched past the golden center and toward him slowly but surely.

"You don't know who you're dealing with." Furious, incredulous, and worried that Harry was ignoring him, all described the feelings coming through in that last sentence.

The green light inched toward him in a burst of energy that was so strong Harry almost stumbled back. However, he managed to hold on feeling perspiration beading his forehead, his scar was awfully silent, a few twitches that made the pain he experienced as a teenager feel so distant now.

"Harry listen, break the connection and dive to the left toward the Order members." The whispered command made him glance momentarily to the left where Dumbledore stood. Nothing on the Headmaster showed that he had just been involved in a furious fight. Harry just shook his head in answer, unable to explain that doing so might make the fight start again.

He could fight Voldemort, wand to wand, normal, but not now, not when he hadn't destroyed the Horocruxes. No he needed to keep the element of surprise about his dueling abilities.

Better to scare Voldemort with this phenomenon and make him take his time researching it and Harry than suspecting that Harry was strong and able to fight him, or even that Harry knew about his bids towards immortality.

Determination born of decision made him turn green eyes toward Voldemort and then with a slight twitch of his lips, a challenge to his opponent, he put all of his will into his spell, into his wand and watched as Voldemort startled and started frantically fight back, his eyes widening slowly as he was unable to make the light inch back toward Harry.

"Harry let go" James's hoarse voice whispered in his ear. He felt Goosebumps rise on his skin as he remembered his ghost father telling his younger self what to do, when to run to get to safety.

He fought harder, determination making the red light move more, it was almost there. It was sudden, one minute they were still fighting staring each other down but the next instant his red spell overpowered Voldermort's and hit Voldemorts wand. He could almost feel the people surrounding them, Aurors and Deatheaters alike, take in an audible breath.

Voldemort's wand started to glow red, slowly at first then brighter, the hand holding the wand started to tremble. Harry looked up from Voldemorts wand to meet the wide red eyes, fear of him evident there for all to see.

Waiting for the last victims of Voldemort to materialize into ghosts around them, made Harry tense in dread.

But as usual, nothing could be predictable when dealing with power and unstable forces. Instead of ghosts Harry felt the hair on his body rise up in warning as he felt the magic gathering around them in a force that had his own eyes widening in fear of the unknown.

What happened next Harry would remember in the course of a couple of days and from the retelling of the other members. It happened that fast. The connection snapped with a power rush that took his breath away leaving him gasping for breath and moved with a force of a thousand Hippogryphs toward the wide eyed Voldemort.

The explosion rocked the alley and blinded him minutely as he caught sight of Voldemort getting blasted in his chest with a bright golden light off his feet and flying backward before hitting the brick wall of Gringotts with a resounding thud that shook the very ground they stood on.

Before he could be able to assess Voldemort's injuries, he lost sight of him in the next instance as he felt the backlash of the spell throwing him back with a power that even if he had the mind to do so would be unable to counter. The rush of air in his ears felt like sharp whistles got cut short as his back half met with the glass front of one of the shops in the alley and his head, along with the other half his back met the hard feel of a brick wall. His breath was gone in a strangled gasp as he felt his body bow backward, and his ears ringing from the hard hit.

Still not conscious of anything aside from the agony in his back and the feel of glass piercing his lower body, he didn't manage to slow his tumble down along with the now shattered glass.

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**Author Note**: another hard chapter… but the story is going somewhere finally… hope you like… and seriously I think if it took me this long to write it I deserve a couple of reviews, ideas and anything you think I should change or add next… soo please review …


	17. Aftermath

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter Sixteen**

**"Aftermath"**

Waking to pain filling every inch and pore of his body was not the way he wanted to wake up, especially not for the second time in a single month.

Relaxing back into the bed he was lying on, he relaxed his muscles and kept his eyes closed as he tried to recall why he was feeling this bad. He remembered the fight, of course he did, and getting blasted back with a bright light. Merlin, the glass stabbing him in the back, pain and then nothing. Or almost nothing, he remembered brief periods of consciousness, too disoriented and hurt to understand what was going around him, faces flashing in and out, screams, shouting voices and a steady voice saying over and over "Hang in there, hang in there Harry." then at last the numbness settling in gradually, which was when he finally and blissfully blacked out.

Obviously he survived, he thought with an untypical cynicism, and he was healed but not completely so. His body still hurt enough for him to curse the healer who was in charge of him which left him wondering where Madam Pomfrey was when he needed her. Blinking carefully and trying to open eyes he flinched from the bright light filling the room, he felt movement beside him before darkness settled into the room.

"Better?"

The gruff voice had him stiffening in surprise, then from pain the sudden movement caused. Merlin, he needed a break from the war, from fighting, and from injuries. Sighing he tried to reach for his glasses on the bedside but stiffened abruptly as sudden pain shot up his left hand. Right, don't move _any_ limb Potter.

He felt rather than saw the blur that he was sure was James Potter move closer to him before he felt his glasses being placed in his half reaching hand.

As he put them on his vision cleared out slowly, only to encounter a problem in the image of an obviously uncomfortable James Potter standing by his bed in what he now recognized as one of the private rooms given to Wizards able to afford it in St. Mungo's hospital.

Turning his gaze from studying this rather opulent room, which he was occupying by himself he looked at the stiff figure standing now a little farther from his bed, Harry searched his mind for something to ask, anything, but in the end stayed silent. Sirius was hurt, Lily and probably Kingsley too, and those were the ones he saw getting injured, who else was hurt, who was dead. He flinched away from these thoughts, refusing the memory forcing itself to the forefront of his mind of Hogwarts great hall and the bodies lined there, bodies thrown in various positions on the grounds.

He shook his head and took a deep breath, clear your mind Potter and look forward to the future, don't immerse in regrets and in the past. Remember the past, remember the loved ones and the happy memories side by side with sad ones, but always go forward or you'll drive yourself crazy. Clear and protect your mind!

"Are you ok?" a shuffle "Of course you're not. Do you need me to call a healer for you?"

Remembering his manners he opened his eyes, shook his head and tried to utter a thank you only to hear an incomprehensible scratchy sound, his throat was so dry. Amusement flickered momentarily in James's brown eyes before the older replica of him turned to a table by the now curtained window and to the cold pitcher standing on it with some colorful glasses.

Pouring some water James walked back to Harry's hospital bed only to frown when he saw that Harry was still lying on his back, and unable to pull himself up.

And no wonder, Harry looked at his maimed body, his maimed naked body! he was only dressed in boxers, Merlin, Boxers with red sparkly hearts scattered on them. Feeling his face redden miserably Harry was immensely grateful no one else was in here. Examining his injuries, his chest was wrapped in bandages and things he was sure were not supposed to hurt inside him ached excessively, his legs were a horror, only the light scratches were gone but the deeper cuts were littering his legs, so cut up were they, they looked skinless.

"Don't worry. Your legs will heal in a couple of week's time, the scratches are deep but it was nothing to the injury to your back and chest." Seeing that Harry was listening to him he continued with brows knitted in what to Harry looked unbelievably like concern "they couldn't give you the potions to treat them faster because they might conflict with the ones they gave you for the more serious injuries. You're back was…"

James stiffened, glancing over his shoulder toward the door like someone might come in and save him from this talk, then rubbing his eyes warily under his glasses said "Well it was really bad, for a minute there in Diagon Alley with the blood and the fractures.. " swallowing deeply "It was bad. Some bones showed then you went into shock.. very bad" He stated disjointedly.

Harry nodded slowly deciding to give the older man a break as he looked a little desperate for an interruption and Harry still hadn't said anything since waking up.

"It's ok" Harry grimaced inwardly at his eloquence then added "Can you help me sit up please" clearing his throat he added scratchily "I really need that water."

Nodding a little too rapidly, James looked like he had been given a mission he badly needed to concentrate on "Not sure sitting up is a good idea with your chest and back, but I'll help you drink." Angling a straw down toward Harry he looked at him expectantly.

Defeated Harry decided to not fight the 'leave Harry on his back idea' until he had some water, he was parched.

A couple of swallows later, feeling like a human being again, his head started working properly, he asked "what.." clearing his throat with a rough cough he tried again "what happened?"

James looked stiff and uncomfortable again in the space of minutes making Harry sigh resignedly at the strain the older man displayed in his presence. But finally James answered slowly "well, I don't know how much you remember but there was a fight in Diagon Alley, because…"

Eyebrows rising incredulously Harry interrupted him mid flow "What! I remember that" seeing James's frown forming at his rude interruption, Harry took a mental step back then said more politely "I meant to Voldemort. What happened to him? To the Deatheaters? Any order members injured? How did the fight end?"

"Oh." Reforming his thoughts visibly James said "He was injured badly according to eye witnesses." Seeing Harry's expectant look he added "he was appareted away by his Deatheaters." A slightly vicious smile that looked weird on James's face appeared, and with eyes shining with triumph he added "The first real injury that that bastard has taken in such a long time. He'll think long and hard next time he decides to make such an attack. Not to mention the losses in his Deatheaters, Merlin we have some of his right hand followers. His inner circle!"

"Ahh Harry you are awake" both of them looked up in surprise at the sudden interruption not having heard him enter, Dumbledore smiled at the similar looks directed at him by such similar faces before looking at James with a raised eyebrow "My boy, I believe your family is looking for you."

"Oh right. Right."

In an instant, James turned from the confidant serious Auror to an awkward man, fidgeting and looking around for some object or an excuse Harry wasn't sure what, but the next minute James was turning and heading toward the door with a determination born out his previous awkwardness "I was just checking that the.. the Boy.. Harry that is, that he was getting treated well. No one was in to see him, to check…" He said as he reached Albus and the door "Lily is being let out today. I'll just leave him in your care then Albus." and left with no backward look at Harry.

Feeling a smile fighting its way to his face, Harry fought it but in the end he couldn't help the silly grin spreading on his face and the mad twinkle in his own green eyes as they met the amusement in the sparkling blue one's. He suddenly felt good, better. maybe he shouldn't, maybe it wasn't his father, but this man that wasn't his father cared, and Harry liked that he did.

"That wasn't nice Professor." Harry said his grin fading into a knowing smile.

An innocent look from familiar twinkling blue eyes met his, and a lift of one white eyebrows was the only reply to Harry calling Albus on his attempt at embarrassing James about this turn in his feelings towards him, and his awkwardness in dealing with it.

"It is good to see you up." then apparently noticing that Harry was still lying back on his bed asked carefully "or are you up? You seem to be still lying down."

So it was his turn to be made fun of, was it?

"I'm tired. Not sure I can even talk about what happened at Diagon Alley kind of tired." Harry said with narrowed eyes, but his attempt at embarrassing the Headmaster failed miserably, as instead he was asked "Do you need a Dreamless potion to help you sleep Harry my boy."

He couldn't help himself, rolling his eyes in exasperation at the Headmaster's concerned reply; everyone was worried about him suddenly.

"No, no. can you help me up." Then added belatedly with sudden politeness "umm please."

"of course, of course" coming toward the bed Harry was braced for the Headmaster to help him pull himself up, but instead, he reached under Harry's bed while Harry watched uncomprehendingly, then pulling a cord with an "Aha" sound he pressed a button that had the Headboard moving up and helping Harry sit up.

"Better my boy?" said the Headmaster with that damnable twinkle.

Harry relaxed back into the bed, embarrassed at not knowing it was that easy, cleared his throat and said with an arrogant voice "Yes, thanks Headmaster. Wasn't sure about electricity and magic you know then decided to ignore the whole incident that he was sure was coloring his face bright red. He bet the boxers were Dumbledore's touch too!

A wand flick had a chair scrapping over the floor and Albus sitting on it by his bed with a sigh of tiredness that had Harry examining his tired wrinkled face.

"Well Harry my boy it does make this old wizard's heart feel better to see you finally awake. We were worried about a spinal cord injury, you are very lucky that we managed to get you help this fast" looking at some children's drawings that filled the wall opposite Harry's bed Albus did not look at him while he continued talking "Not only did we have to get you here fast but James used his considerable influence, reputation and money to get you treated this fast, what with the healers running around trying to deal with all the injured people being rushed in from the Alley." Making a humming voice he finished with "A very serious injury indeed."

Solemn blue eyes met green in a suddenly pale face, Harry looked down and away from those penetrating eyes and kept silent. Spinal cord injury! After so many dealings with the war, with death and then finally with Auror training Harry felt shaken to know that no he couldn't always get away injury free.

"A very interesting couple of days have passed since the fight, but…"

"What! Days?" Harry snapped his head back up to look at the Headmaster "How long have I been unconscious?"

Tilting his head to the side Albus answered "six days to be exact, this is the morning of your seventh day in the hospital. And what an eventful seven days they have been!"

Harry blinked, trying to get his mind around the fact he had been out of it for a whole week, then noticing Albus's expectant stare took the bait and asked "Umm, eventful how?"

"Well my boy, it's not every day the Wizarding world adopts an unknown boy, a stranger if you will, and turns him into what was it" humming again in thought that Harry was sure was pretense, Albus's mind was as sharp as ever "oh right, the-Boy-who-lived."

Harry, startled so badly he half jumped up off the bed, flinched in pain and settled back as his body screamed in pain with eyes that looked strangely haunted to anyone looking at him "What?" Was that scratchy low sound his voice?

Watching him carefully Dumbledore said "Yes, it's everywhere, in all the newspapers. Unfortunately, when the Wizarding world sticks a nickname to a person it's hard to drop it. I remember a friend of mine and an unfortunate incident with a goat." Seeing Harry's incredulous look "However this is not the time or place for that particular story. They will call you this forever though, my boy. But I do believe it's original don't you think so ?"

"The-boy-Who-Lived?" Harry repeated slowly.

"Yes. Let's see if I have that newspaper." Then with an actor-like flourish, he waved his wand and a Daily Prophet issue appeared infront of him. "Here we go. No, not the article on brother wands, not the one on young progenies and, no, no, not the one on golden colored spells either. Ahh yes yes here it is," Albus finally said ignoring Harry's flinching with each mentioned article. "The-Boy-Who-Live." Handing it to Harry's outstretched hand, Dumbledore continued as if oblivious to the impact of his words, "There were other suggestions of course, some wanted the nickname The-Boy-Savior, and others voted more for The-Green-Eyed-Hero. Mostly girls though I must say" Albus said with an amused look "A good friend of mine told me of a nickname that no one else even mentioned!"

Silently, Harry kept his glazed eyes on the newspaper in his lap, his mind dazedly going over the Headmasters words. Then finally, when he grasped what Albus was hinting at, broke the silence with the expected question of "what was the nickname?"

Silence again until Harry finally raised his eyes to meet suddenly serious and grave blue eyes. "Well my boy, surprisingly he called you The-Prophecy-Boy." pausing to watch as Harry tried to prevent a wince at the all too familiar nickname before he added "Isn't that surprising. Prophecies are such an unstable science don't you think so Harry?"

The only things Harry could think of was why didn't you call me 'my boy' professor and are you remembering me asking you about a certain prophecy?

It was time for a full explanation Harry realized as he turned slowly back to the newspaper to read the article that he saw was titled "The-Boy-Who-lived or is it The-Boy-Who-Survived?" There was a debate whether he managed to stay alive after confronting and fighting the Dark Lord by virtue and ability or if he survived by luck alone. And of course it was written by Rita Skeeter.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"You're looking well for being the in the center of the-fight-of-a-lifetime as it's called."

The half amused and half serious words had Harry looking up from the newspaper he was reading. Nothing new or news worthy, the Wizarding world had not given up on giving him a nickname and apparently now two days later, The-Boy-Who-Lived was gaining favor and the other nicknames were slowly disappearing.

Sirius stood just inside the hospital room leaning on the door frame, wearing a rather somber but elegant black robe, smiling at him softly.

"Don't know about a fight Sirius, I would call it more a test of wills. A test that, if I've been told correctly by the heaves of healers who've been visiting me and poking me every other hour, I almost didn't survive whole."

The amusement in Sirius's eyes dimmed and he came further into the room, closing the door silently behind him. Sitting with a sigh and a wince beside his bed made Harry's eyes check him out more carefully than he had at first. Sirius looked well enough now but seeing him sit carefully and so un-Sirius like made Harry worry.

"Are you alright? You were also pretty injured in the fight."

A bark-like laugh brought the familiar sparkle back into his blue eyes as he said " I'm the adult here, let me worry about myself and about you kiddo." Then, going back to his serious demur added, "also I heard your injuries were so bad you had them worrying about you there for a minute."

"Yes. My legs are just now healing and I've been told several times that I injured my back so badly they couldn't heal the rest of my body till the potions and charms used on it healed the worst of the injury." Discomfited Harry added "and it seems I have James to thank for the quick help I got."

A grin spread slowly over Sirius's face "Yep, You two pig-headed men will have to get along now, what with each of you saving each others life."

Harry rolled his eyes at Sirius's unhidden glee, James hadn't come to visit again but others have. Lily came yesterday with food and with both Joshua and Fran trailing after her. She seemed pale but otherwise unhurt and the first thing she did upon entering the room was to kiss him on the cheek. All in all, such an understated action that she made it seem like the most natural thing, like a regular daily occurrence.

He was left blinking in the face of Lily's satisfied smile as she sat down with a regal-like air that had Harry blinking at the transformation in her behavior. She looked and behaved more confidently around him than he was used to.

His siblings went through a change too. Joshua, with his round eyes, watched him with an annoying worship-like expression that made him want to shake him or tell him to wake up from whatever innocent daydream he was making revolving him, but on the other hand he did not chatter away about everything he thought of in every given second. Fran with her careful air of watchfulness around him sat down with her eyes down-turned as usual but the slight move of her head showed more than anything that she was listening to his conversation with Lily with an astonishing attentiveness.

Harry almost felt comfortable with them. Feeling awkward only at the beginning of the visit with the kiss Lily gave him and a second time at the end of the visit when Lily came close to his bed again making Harry stiffen in discomfort anticipating a second kiss. However, instead of kissing him, all she did was pick up his left hand from where it lay limp on the bed and held it with both hands and said with a smile "thank you Harry." That had Harry automatically asking "what for?" but she just smiled at him as though his question was an answer in itself. Joshua, who waited until his mum and sister were out the door, answered him with a grin more at home on his face than the grim awed silence he had been displaying since that start of their visit, to say "for saving her and my dads life of course." Then his grin slipped off his face and with a firm look he said "Thank you" and left.

He was useless in emotional situations; it was a good thing that was over with. He never had to deal with this in his world. It was mostly Hermione, Ginny or Molly becoming teary when he got injured during the war but there was no awkwardness like this with almost strangers. Merlin, it was a good thing that the visit was over. He liked them, he could admit that, even the quiet Fran who never said more than two words to him without running away, and he appreciated their visit and the thought that even in this new world someone cared enough to look in and check on him, but they still put him on edge.

Dumbledore had visited a couple of times too, talking of general things and not pressing him with questions, just hinting and giving him many openings to tell but no not pressing. Both knew a talk was inevitable but Albus was willing to wait a little more and Harry wanted to leave the hospital first. However, with every visit and with the time he spent alone with his thoughts, all Harry was left with were plans how to go about getting the Horocruxes and destroying them. He was supposed to be released tomorrow so he had time to plan about how to go about it.

He realized that he needed to tell Albus about Horocruxes as soon as possible so they'd start on the road to destroying them. He already had the locket and the Diadem was easy but he needed to secure it fast, then the Ring protected by snakes which he might get by himself as he did not want to explain why he was a parselmouth. After all he couldn't explain it to himself either since he thought after the Horocrux in him died he would lose the ability, but apparently not.

The one Horocruxe he had no idea how to get was the one that was inside him back in his world. Where and in what did Voldemort place that one? After all little Harry Potter died in this world and not by using the killing curse on him. Harry frowned, but did that make his body unsuitable to contain a Horocruxe? The idea was just too disturbing for him to contemplate further and something that he had to consult Albus about.

"What's the sigh for? You survived what thousands of other did not, and in a way well not sure about the way, you could have been killed or so everyone who saw you dashing in-front of James thought." Meeting Harry's wary eyes he continued, "but you knew you wouldn't didn't you?"

Returning to the here and now, Harry focused back on the conversation he was having with Sirius. he stifled another sigh at the question being asked, but then with a mental switch he changed his mind, why not tell part of it, he'll have to have this conversation with someone, they wont let it go until he does and at least with Sirius it'll be easier for him.

So "I knew I wouldn't." Harry answered with a direct look, then added when the only reaction he got to that was a raised eyebrow "I knew because something similar happened back home. But now I'm not sure if I was very lucky to survive. The way the connection happened, there were no ghosts. The golden light turned to spells flying and hitting people around us and the aftermath, _that_ was definitely something I didn't predict or know was going to happen."

"You got lucky?" Sirius snapped, ignoring the other bits of information.

Harry winced "in a manner of speaking, yes I got lucky that the connection didn't hurt me or turn on me because I'm not of this universe. But not lucky in the way you mean."

"And what do I mean?"

Harry turned toward Sirius who was watching him carefully "You say it like I was surprised there was the connection at all between my wand and Voldemorts, I wasn't Sirius. But I was surprised at the way the connection turned out. I knew I might get hurt but I also knew that it was either me getting hurt or James dying. It was a split second decision, not consciously made. But I did make it and it turned out well. So that's that."

"So you didn't die and that makes your decision to jump in front of the killing curse okay? What kind of twisted logic is that?!"

Harry shrugged, for someone he loved he would've taken the killing curse to save their life even if he ended up dead. However, for James and at the time death wasn't an option in his mind, he did it because he believed he wouldn't die so there was no deliberation. He also admitted to himself that he did not want to face Lily's sad eyes, or Joshua's disappointed ones or even Fran's tears because he didn't even try, so he tried and James was alive.

Letting out a deep breath, Sirius shook his head a small mocking smile twisting his mouth "You have a saving people complex Harry."

"So I've been told."

Staring at each other in impasse, Sirius broke the staring with a change of subject that had Harry sighing inwardly at it.

"Why did your wand and Voldemort's do that?"

A raised eyebrow showing his skepticism Harry said "are you really going telling me that these couple of days that I've been hospitalized Dumbledore, Moody or any one of the Order members didn't find out why?" then with a humorless laugh added "or even the newspapers? Look at the article about brother wands and you'll get your answer Sirius."

"It's true?"

Harry was getting fed up with this somber inquisitive Sirius so he answered a little too sharply than he intended "Yes it's true. What? Are you afraid now that you're looking at the next dark lord?"

To his surprise all the reaction he got was a raised eyebrow and a "touché" before with a familiar twist Sirius changed the subject again to daily things that had Harry relaxing eventually.

Unfortunately, it didn't mean that Sirius was his last visitor, later that day just before visiting hours were over Harry was surprised to hear his door open slowly and to see red hair then the familiar face of Ginny Weasley.

"Hi." She said with a low voice that was almost a whisper.

Harry nodded back slowly, "come in Gin. Sorry, I mean Ginny." He would never get used to this careful, quiet almost depressed Ginny, he was too used to his vibrant lively girlfriend to understand this much softer version of her.

Watching him from beside the door for a minute more in silence, Harry felt the hair on the back of his neck and arms rise up in warning and he fidgeted, his mind calculating how fast he could get his wand out from under the covers where he hid it after Sirius handed it over back to him at noon.

A smile flashed on Ginny's face before she lowered her face to avoid eye contact, and straightened from the slouch that wasn't noticeable until she stood up taller.

"How are you Harry?" coming closer slowly she stood by his bed ignoring the chair to stay standing.

"I'm alright, thanks for visiting." Then because he had to know, "are there any of you're family in the hospital?"

Nodding slowly she said softly "Yes, my dad was hit with a spell in his stomach, they can't manage to keep it closed" Harry winced at that memory of the Arthur Weasley of his world combating a similar injury "Dumbledore said he'll find a spell to help though." Ginny continued with a twist of her mouth when uttering the Headmaster's name.

"You don't believe he will?" he enquired.

Ginny shrugged, a soft gesture barely moving her shoulders, and continued to watch him with a glazed look in her eyes that had Harry frowning in concern.

"Ginny I'm sure he'll be alright. Don't Wor..."

"How did you do that with the wands, with Tom?" she interrupted, not seeming to hear him trying to reassure her.

A little disoriented with her behavior, Harry clutched his wand tighter under the covers feeling like a paranoid idiot but he couldn't shake this feeling of doom from settling over him, it strengthened as he saw Ginny's eyes flash to his arm and another smile twist her mouth.

Before he could cautiously answer her question, Ginny looked up at him her eyes loosing their unfocused glaze and smiled uncertainly at him before saying "Well get better Harry, I need to go back to dad's room now."

Turning her head when she reached the door smiled gently at him then disappeared as silently as she appeared before.

Harry took a deep breath not noticing till he took it that he had been holding his breath in tense anticipation. With his eyes still stuck on the hospital door he loosened his firm grip on his wand lowering it from where he had raised it unconsciously at some moment during his conversation with Ginny.

His heart felt heavy like lead, and his trainers words were ringing in his ears "you have a sixth sense Potter, probably a legacy of the dangers of your teenage years, use it, trust it. It just might save your life one day."

Still staring at the door where Ginny had been a moment ago, he flashed back to the moment Ginny looked at his hand where it was clutching his wand under the covers as if she could see him gripping it, then her eyes as they flashed up to his own green ones, direct eye contact before she ducked her head again. For a minute Harry was sure they had flashed red, ruby red, and if anyone else had seen it they would have dismissed it as a reflection of the light, but Harry knew what it meant.

He had found another of Tom's Horocruxes, it had found a resident body, Ginny's body.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**Author Note**: This Chapter as its namesake is the aftermath, with lots of talk and realizations for a lot of people and a turning point in the Harry-James relationship. Hope no one is disappointed about the lack of action, I think the next couple of chapters will be full of them. A Big thank you to my story's Beta, who corrects, reviews and give great suggestions to help take this story forward

Likes, suggestions and any other comments are always welcome. Enjoy.


	18. Taking Action

**The Mirror of possibilities**

**Chapter seventeen**

**"Taking Action"**

Harry left St. Mungo's the week after waking up, an event that usually left him in the highest of spirits but this time he was too preoccupied to enjoy such an event. During his last week in St. Mungo's he managed to send a letter to Dumbledore after a lot of haggling with the nurse on duty who seemed unimpressed with his status as a hero. In it he asked Albus to meet him at Grimmauld place - it was time to start taking action while they had the upper hand with Voldemort being cautious.

"The sun is shinning, the birds are singing, what's the frown for kiddo?"

Blinking at Sirius who was accompanying him back to Grimmauld place, Harry shrugged.

"Are we using the floo?"

A nod was his answer before Sirius elaborated "yes, it's the best way." With a glance at Harry's down bent head he added "Don't know if anyone mentioned it but it's not safe to take any other method of travel and for once it's not Voldemort's fault. The press are having a field day over you and we don't want you mobbed by them do we?"

Harry nodded silently as he already knew to expect this and it wasn't an unusual occurrence. He had been following the newspapers and they haven't let up on him and on their investigation of his past. So far they haven't found anything because there was nothing to find, he didn't exist here after all. But it wouldn't be long before connections were made with how he and James looked so alike. It hadn't taken Bellatrix more than a minute to make the connection especially after Charlie said his name.

And that was another thing he had forgotten with all of the recent events - he knew that she was probably still in custody and probably still tied up with the spell he used on her. He knew his magic and he was confidant that they were strong enough not to be broken by anyone but him especially since the particular spell he used was made so only its caster can remove it unless it was someone more powerful than Harry. With an inward sigh of regret he changed his mind, Dumbledore probably removed his spell already. His mouth twisted in cynicism, if it was up to him she would've waited on him for a couple more days before he removed the spell.

"Here we go. A pinch and off you go Harry I'll be right after you."

Turning toward the fireplace in St. Mungos main healers lounge, he took a pinch of floo before finally noticing the empty room, turning to Sirius he asked in slight surprise "No goodbye committee or healers with last minute instructions?"

"Oh yes, they are waiting by the main fireplace" Sirius answered a smile lifting the corners of his mouth with eyes shinning like a kid in a candy store. "They'll be waiting for some time, I'm afraid James managed to convince some Ministry officials to open this fireplace for floo travel for the next… " glancing at his watch "hmmm next fifteen minutes, so off we go before it turns off and we'll have to face the mass of healers, nurses, patients, admirers, reporters… well you get the jest right? "

Smiling back at the gleeful Sirius who was grinning like a maniac at the end of his speech, Harry threw the floo into the fireplace and stepped in.

Spinning out into Grimmauld place, Harry's face almost met the floor in a predictable fashion if it wasn't for the hand that caught him by the arm and pulled him back up making him stumble and hang on to the helping person for balance.

Peeking from between the long messy black hair covering his face in an untidy manner he watched as Sirius landed with a grace and elegance that made Harry grit his teeth in annoyance and want to childishly push him back into the sooty fireplace.

"Okay?"

Remembering himself, Harry disengaged from James Potter's firm hold on his arms and stood straight and drew his hand through his hair to remove it from his face and avoiding Sirius's sparkling eyes.

"Well he looks okay." the calm steady voice of Remus intervened from across the room making Harry break the glare directed at an oblivious Sirius and continuing to awkwardly ignore James to look at his former professor who was sitting calmly watching them while drinking his tea.

"Prof… They already let you leave the hospital wing? How are you feeling?"

Lifting his eyebrows at the slip up Remus smiled softly and answered "Yes, fighting my way out of Poppy's clutches has been the greatest achievement I've had this week. But ever since leaving the hospital wing I've been forced to house rest or house-set as they call it around here." at that last sentence he frowned at the two men now moving forward.

"Old men need more healing time." Sirius mock whispered to Harry but the only reaction he got from Remus was a disgusted snort before said old man turned back to Harry "It's nice to meet you, While fully conscious." He added with a smile his eyes flicking from him to James "Sirius was right you do look a lot like James."

"Except the eyes, they're my mother's eyes." He finished automatically.

"Too true." Sirius sighed dramatically "you must have the girls falling all over you, of course not as many as me. In my time I was a real charmer, I once had as much as three girlfriends at the same time and I… "

"Sirius." Remus and James said together, the first exasperated and the second in a firm tone.

"Jealous bastards." Sirius winked at Harry.

Ignoring him James said abruptly "Dumbledore is waiting in the living room for you." making Harry finally focus on him, so with a nod Harry walked toward the door with the intention of seeing the Headmaster but a throat clearing halted him before he could reach the kitchen door. Turning around again in question he saw both Remus and Sirius looking at James expectantly.

"Lily was wondering if you would like to join us for dinner tonight." a clipped statement.

"Oh! I don't know." Harry said carefully seeing Sirius redirect his glare from James to him and Remus tilting his head examining him closely "I'm not sure what I'll be doing…" Harry trailed uncomfortably.

He really didn't know how long the conversation with Dumbledore was going to take, or even if they were going start planning their next steps tonight.

"Of course you can. You have a couple of good hours till dinner, be ready and we'll floo with Remus to the Potters." Turning to James and ignoring Harry's sputtering at him answering in his place "Off you go back home to your pretty wife and stop frowning you have enough lines on your forehead if you keep it up you'll be as old as Remus in no time!"

"Will you stop calling me old!"

Ignoring both James frown and Remus's reaction, Sirius grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him out of the kitchen and into the living room where a serene Dumbledore was sitting in front of the fireplace drinking his own cup of tea.

"Here he is Albus all in one piece as you can see. You have till six in the evening then Harry I'm afraid have a dinner engagement."

"I haven't agreed to go." Harry interrupted exasperated with Sirius's pushy behavior.

"Don't worry, we'll be done by then." Albus interjected taking his instructions calmly with twinkling amused eyes.

Harry turned to Albus with a frown "I haven't said yes yet!"

"Be ready Harry." with a last look and a wink Sirius left as fast as he entered the room.

"A dinner engagement? How nice for you my boy, it's not good to stay cooped in this house by yourself or in the library for that matter. You should make new acquaintances here."

"It's at the Potters." Harry sat down on the chair opposite Dumbledore "They're not new acquaintances and I haven't said I'll go." Harry added futilely, he knew he was going. He'd feel bad if they waited for him to come and he didn't show up and as much as he hated to admit it, he knew it had been hard for James to ask him to come over at all so it was only fair that he respect his invitation and show up. He was just being contrary saying he would not go and he was convincing no one, not even himself.

"A cup of tea Harry?" Dumbledore asked bending to pour him a cup before he answered and adding to his own half empty cup. "Ah yes, the small joys of life, a quiet evening watching the fire and drinking tea. It is hard to find a quiet evening for oneself to sit and just relax but some might not like this quiet I so enjoy. They might say that with no adventure, events or exciting occurrences one is simply not alive." Sipping his tea "What do you think Harry? Is having a quiet life the same as not being alive?"

Blinking at the weird question Harry answered slowly, measuring his words "I believe that in balance a person is most happy. I can only say professor that I'm not a person who glorifies in non-stop adventures, I like my peace and quiet too." Glancing at the watchful headmaster he added "I did not crave or want this popularity Professor nor did I intervene in the fight to feel alive as you call it." With a self mocking smile he added "I even have my own spot in my home, in my own living room sitting on my favorite chair where I enjoy my own periods of quiet and solitude when I want no one to disturb me."

Nodding slowly Albus said "Sirius explained to me that you predicted what happened with your wand and Voldemort's wand."

"You thought that it's more likely that I wanted fame and popularity by acting the hero in the fight rather than caring for James enough to sacrifice my life for him?" Harry asked it curiously strangely not offended by the Headmaster thinking him a fame hound.

Albus sighed deeply "I meant no offense, but in a scale between the two it seemed more likely though I didn't quite believe it either. From what little I already know of you I believe you willing to give your life for a loved one but you and James, though wary with some form of a developing relationship don't seem close enough for you to throw yourself in front of a killing curse for him unless you knew you'd survive. Something Sirius had confirmed."

"But you had to ask me anyway." Harry asked and Albus nodded slowly deep in thoughts.

A minute passed in silence as each collected their thoughts before Harry broke the silence. "We need to start destroying the Horcruxes. Soon."

Dumbledore turned slowly to look at him with the glow of the fire reflecting off his glasses making it hard for Harry to see what the Headmaster was thinking.

"Yes. It needs to be done soon. If you have the locations I'll start looking for the easily situated ones and the hard ones to find…"a pause "am I right in assuming you'll be coming with me to find those."

To Albus's surprise Harry shook his head in negative before saying "No Headmaster, I'll be going with you to find all of them, except one."

"Ahh you trust me with only one to find on my own my boy." And now Harry knew exactly what Albus was feeling. Amused. Amused with the way Harry was taking the leadership in this venture from him.

So smiling faintly at the fire, Harry answered in the same quiet voice "No Headmaster that one I'll be getting." then to make it more clear "by myself."

"And might I know which one of the Horcruxes that will be." Albus sounded neutral but Harry who knew Albus saw that he was offended now but he was not going to back down from this one and so he answered as directly as he could without hurting the old man's feelings.

"You can know Headmaster, I have no problem telling you which one. I will tell you what objects Voldemort used to store pieces of his soul back in my world and where we can find them." He paused then added with a steely glint lighting his eyes "If you give me your word that you won't go to find them on your own."

"My word Harry?" Albus said examining the young man in front of him sharply, surprised at his daring to dictate this part of the fight and of the war against Tom.

"I'll take your word because I know you'll never break it. I do trust you Headmaster even if you don't completely trust me." Then with a slight smile thrown at the older man direction he added "I knew your counterpart very well Headmaster so I feel like I know you too. Your counterpart was my guardian at first, my mentor second and lastly but most importantly he was family."

"That is nice to know." Albus said in a soft voice "I have not had someone call me family in a very long time."

Silence filled the room again, this time it was an emotional silence as Harry waited for the Headmaster to collect himself. He knew how hard it was for Dumbledore to have his only living blood relative, his own brother, hate him with a vengeance.

"And what Horcruxdo you intend to go and find on your own Harry?" He said with a sigh showing Harry once again how tired and old this man was.

Harry hesitated in answering, searching for the right words to make him understand his worry and reasoning. He decided on the straight blunt truth, the only way he knew how to say anything.

"It'll be Marvolo Gaunt's ring Professor. It's an heirloom of the house of Slytherin and Cadmus peverell. A golden ring with the Horcruxes placed in the black stone that's also called _'The Resurrection Stone'_ . I'll be getting that Horcruxalone."

Harry made sure to keep looking at the fire when he explained, for he knew that that last statement would leave an impact on the headmaster. Albus now knew that Harry not only called him family but knew him and his secrets as even family members didn't know him. He knew his biggest regret, his weakness and what he most longed for in this world.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

"Okay. Ready kiddo?"

Harry glared at the cheerful Sirius as he brushed a hand nervously through his long recently trimmed black hair. They were standing outside Godric Hollow that same night in anticipation of their dinner with the Potters. And how weird was that! Dinner with the Potters!

Back home that meant dinner with only him being the only Potter left and not with several family members of said family.

Getting rid of these weird uncoordinated thoughts Harry gave Sirius another glare before reaching over and knocking with a firm hand on the fancy wooden door. as he was taking a step back to wait for the door to open by their hosts, Sirius snorted in disbelieve before giving him a friendly shove with his shoulder flinging the entrance door wide and shouting with loud merriment "Jimmie, Lillian we're home."

Harry blinked and watched Sirius as he headed inside giving Josh, who had been on his way to answer the door, a quick hug and a hair ruffle that left the boy grinning before disappearing from view.

"Hey Harry." Josh said with the same grin now directed at him "Come in. Come in. Fran is helping mum in the kitchen."

He followed Joshua through the hallway and into the living room where voices were heard, as they entered they met James walking towards them on his way to welcome him in too. A smile and an awkward handshake made Sirius snort again from beside them.

"Joshua, Did you arrange the table as your mum asked?"

Frowning Josh said "Fran is helping mum."

"Yes but you're arranging the table. Go ahead I'll take Harry in."

With obvious reluctance Joshua left heading into the living room before turning to his right and through a door near the stairs going to the second level of the house and the bedrooms Harry assumed.

"Welcome to Godric Hollow Harry. come in I'll show you around" James said "or do you already know the house?" at Harry's questioning look he added "Do you know the house, do you live here? Back at your…" clearing his throat uncomfortably Harry decided to help him out.

"No I live in Grimmauld place."

"What! You live in that miserable old ruin?" Sirius jumped startled raising his astonished face from the living room table as they joined him near where he sat beside a small table filled with small tidbits and appetizers arranged beautifully on it. Sirius had been eating and ruining what appeared to be Lily's beautifully arranged table. For his benefit Harry wondered, feeling ashamed he had been so stubborn about coming to this dinner.

Clearing his throat awkwardly and ignoring Sirius's outburst his eyes flicking to the kitchen where Josh and Fran's voiced could be heard arguing about who-knew-what and the sound of dishes. The smell of food alone made Harry want to leave the living room and head directly to the kitchen.

With a small frown at his awkward behavior he decided that there was no need to stand on ceremony so with a distracted 'yes' to answer Sirius's question, he turned to James and said "I'll see if they need any help it sounds like they do."

With that he moved determinedly toward the kitchen ignoring Sirius spluttering and James's astonished expression.

Entering the kitchen he paused for a minute watching the action going on. Lily had almost finished everything which entailed lots and lots of food apparently. Quantities to rival Molly Weasley's cooking when she had all he family coming to dinner.

"Ahemmm" clearing his throat "Can I help?"

Josh and Fran turned from their argument near the dinner table with surprised looks and Lily turned from the cooking pots on the stove.

Smiling at him she walked to him quickly and gave him a hug. "Welcome home Harry. Welcome home." Hugging her back a little awkwardly, Lily sniffed making Harry stiffen as he realized that she was crying but before he could make an issue of it she let him go hurriedly shooing him "Go on, out of here I'm almost done with dinner, go eat some of the appetizers. I made some treacle tarts. Sirius mentioned that you like them." she finished with a question in her voice, her eyes still a little teary.

Determination made him shake his head, at her crestfallen expression interpreting his no to mean he didn't like the tarts, he corrected himself hurriedly "No. I mean yes I like them. But I'm going to stay here and help you out." Looking at the various pots cooking then at the not prepared dinner table he added "I'm a good cook or do you need me to arrange the table?"

Turning to the dinner table seeming to notice for the first time it still wasn't ready she frowned at her watchful children and said "I remember asking Josh to arrange the table! Arguing your sister into arranging it again for you, young man?"

A sheepish smile appeared on Josh's face before he said "Of course not mum." ignoring his sisters sniff, he headed to the cabinets Fran following him with a barely heard mutter of "I'll only help."

Turning to each other again, they stared in silence for a suspended second then Harry turned to the oven "Is that roast? I love roast!" That broke the silence and gave Lily a much needed topic of conversation about cooking while Harry helped her stir the soup boiling and she continued with the salad that she had been preparing when he had entered the kitchen. Conversations came easier after that.

Minutes later James and Sirius entered the kitchen and watched as Lily and Harry worked and talked with an ease that had Sirius grinning and James watching silently before he turned to sit at the homey dinner table not taking his eyes from them.

"You cook Harry?"

Turning to Sirius and seeing his and James's watchful eyes he answered "Yes I've learned to cook since I was seven years old."

"Seven! You gotta be kidding me? Really?" Josh interrupted as he and Fran focused on him from the table where they had sat with James after finishing arranging the table.

"Hmm yes I can make a mean stuffed turkey too" Harry said with a twinkle in his green eyes that had them entranced by this new light mood. Well he had been a moody bastard since coming here.

Laughing Sirius nudged James "Hear that James your counterpart had him cooking since he was a little kid. Treated you like a house-elf did he Harry?"

Harry forced a light smile for their benefit as they seemed to find it amusing.

"Actually, I didn't live with my parents. I lived with my aunt and uncle in Surrey." At the silent shock he could feel reverberating around him his eyes met Lily's shocked eyes, clearing his throat "Well this soup is ready. Josh do you have a bowl to pour this into."

Fran jumped up and brought him a very nice creamy bowl "Thanks" he flashed her a smile that had her reddening and mumbling something unintelligible before hurrying back to the table.

The bowl set in the center of the table, Lily had Sirius and James help her to serve the rest of the food.

"Remus should be here any minute." Lily muttered, as she said that last word a 'ping' announced a floo user "Ah here he is. James call him over."

"Hey! Remus! We're in the kitchen." Sirius shouted.

"I meant for you to go meet him in the living room." His mother flashed Sirius a half halfhearted glare that he ignored while James smiled and got up as Remus entered the kitchen giving him a warm hand shake and a rough hug

"You look good Remus. How are you feeling?"

A smile appeared on the worn out man's face as he returned the hello's from the table and winked at Lily "I'm good. Better." turning to Sirius he added "Thanks for the shout Sirius."

"No problem mate." Sirius said distractedly as he looked at Lily while raising his empty dinner plate with blinking pleading puppy eyes.

Harry laughed softly when Lily turned exasperated eyes on him. Lily's eyes snapped on to him in wonder as did the rest, Harry felt his cheeks flushing in embarrassment, to clear the awkwardness he cleared his throat and asked Remus "Are you feeling better… Remus?" he ended with a smile.

The smile was returned "Yes thank you Harry. just had my potions from Poppy, I do wish they'll invent better tasting potions some time soon though." then with a raised eyebrow he added "but I forgot that I have you to thank for being alive at all. I hear you helped Sirius and James get me out of … there."

"What? You took Harry with you and not me?" Joshua's exclamation drew exasperated expressions.

Harry with a slight smile answered him "Josh with all due respect to your abilities, you are still sixteen years old!" ignoring what he himself had been doing at sixteen. No need for them to know what trouble he got himself into when he was younger.

"So what? you're nineteen. It's only a three year difference and I'm very good in DADA better than anyone my age. ask Remus."

Clearing his throat amused, was he ever that arrogant or was it over-confidence. "I'm also trained as an Auror so I think that makes a difference."

"What!" Sirius's exclamation drowned the rest of the surprised reactions but it had him still lifting one eyebrow in question.

"You can't be in Auror training they don't accept anyone younger than twenty years old." Fran said bluntly before anyone could speak and had Harry turning toward her "Well then when I return home I'll have to remind them of that, they accepted me before I was eighteen years old. I've been in training for more than a year, almost done too."

"That's not possible" this time James decided to argue with him "No seventeen year old ever enteres Auror training and no one ever finished training in less than three years!" with a questioning look he added "Maybe you're confusing a preparation course with the actual Auror training."

Exasperated Harry said levelly "Look my world is obviously different. After the war there was a need for Aurors and well I'd proven myself so I was automatically accepted and my training started immediately. I also skipped some courses that they saw I had no need to do."

"wouw wouw mate." Sirius said dropping his fork to join their conversation "why would they admit a seventeen year old? And skip some courses? With all due respect Harry kiddo but how could they think you didn't need some Auror courses I mean none of the things you learn in Hogwarts can even prepare you to Auror training, if you get what I mean!"

Seeing he had everyone's attention even the solemn Remus and quiet Lily, he explained as best he could. "Where I come from we've been at war since the end of my fourth year and it spread so fast that by the time I was seventeen I was an active participant. I skipped my last year in Hogwarts as it had been taken over by Voldemort by then and wasn't safe anymore which was how I got involved in the fighting." Seeing the stunned looks he finished "So you see different world, different circumstances like I said" he turned to a wide eyed Josh "I have the training to go help them."

Turning to his still full plate thanks to Lily refilling it each time he ate a bite, he enjoyed another piece of her excellent roast and raised his face chewing feeling more amused than distressed by his revelations and their reactions.

In a chocked voice Lily said "You didn't sit your NEWTs?"

Harry blinked at her, while Sirius with laughing eyes turned to stare at Remus then at James before the three of them started laughing making Harry blink in amusement before answering Lily "No. No NEWTs. Didn't need to do them" then added with a rueful voice "After being involved in war and getting an Order of Merlin First Class, the ministry didn't think I needed NEWTs to get accepted into Auror training." With a slight twist to his mouth he added "Actually Kingsley kind of pleaded that I join early to help them put order back to the Ministry after the chaos of the war."

Lily blinked "Order of Merlin First Class? Was it that bad that they needed seventeen year olds to fight?" she shook her head at the three men now silent and watchful.

Remus added before Harry could answer "and Hogwarts fell to Voldemort? Really? How did that happen with Albus there or wasn't he there?" he ended with thoughtful eyes raised to Harry.

Harry grimaced at the smart conclusion "Yes. Voldemort wouldn't have gotten Hogwarts if Dumbledore was there" Then with shadowed eyes added "The Headmaster died at the end of my sixth year and immediately after Voldemort had the school in his hands. He turned it to another stronghold of his holding wizarding children as hostages over their families to make them do as he ordered and not join the resistance against him."

Horrified eyes turned to him making him look around with a sigh, perfect dinner conversation Potter. With determination he said "Of course that won't be happening here" he said with forced cheer looking at the scared Fran and worried Joshua.

Remus catching his drift said determinedly "No it won't."

The conversation changed direction after that, Remus turning to Sirius and James talking about a project of theirs while Lily turned to Harry and asked him quietly under the chatter of others "Why did you live with my sister Harry? are we…" she paused a minute her eyes flicking to Josh and Fran talking for once in quiet tones their eyes flicking to Harry every now and then "Are we gone?" she stressed the last word looking him in the eyes.

Harry nodded and said as he saw sadness fill her eyes "Am afraid so." He paused not knowing what else to add "You died heroically, fighting Voldemort."

Shaking her head Lily asked him in the same quiet tone "how old were you?"

Harry blinked then answered "One year old."

"Oh. Halloween. It was Halloween?" Lily whispered her hand sneaking and taking hold of his in a fierce hold as he nodded his answer. She nodded back, then with determination said in a light voice "You like my roast? Here have some more."

Harry gave her his still full plate his head churning, saying his thank you's and smiling as the conversation filled his ears and slowly he joined them in talking about quidditch. If Lily was quieter than usual no one noticed but Harry and James who had been watching them while they talked.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

The next day dawned on a still tired Harry sitting in the kitchen nursing his coffee cup with red rimmed eyes, his thoughts still on the previous night dinner. It had been nicer than he thought it would've been even with the awkward moments here and there. It was still nice to sit and talk to people that, had circumstances been kinder, he would've grown among and loved very much. As it is he didn't know them very well, he knew some of them from their counterparts but they had still made him feel like a part of the family, joking and making him part of their group, and when talk turned to the universal topic of quidditch it had flowed very nicely.

Sighing Harry closed his eyes lowering his head to take in the heavenly scent of coffee in contentment. He felt like he was a part of a family, his own family. If for one evening only.

"What's the sigh for kiddo."

His mouth quirked in amusement but keeping his head bent over his coffee and his eyes closed he said resignedly "I'm not a kid Sirius. Cant you call me by my name?" he asked knowing the answer.

"No. Don't think so." Amused, probably laughing at his stiff demure as only Sirius can do.

"Leave him be Sirius." Stern but gentle, the tone of Remus came form the doorway as his steps were heard nearing the table and Harry.

"Alright Harry?" silent and gentle so unlike the werewolf part of himself, Harry squeezed his eyes tighter imagining a world were his family were alive and where he was a part of this caring surroundings. Sighing again, he opened his eyes shaking his gloomy morning thoughts and smiled at the gentle brown eyes watching his face carefully, he nodded "Yes fine. Just morning blues, after the coffee I'll feel more alive. There's more coffee if you like some."

Raised eyebrows met his in amusement "Coffee Harry? Don't you know we're English, it's tea for us and coffee for the rest of the world."

Chuckling Sirius dropped into the chair on the other side of the table opposite him saying dramatically "Nah Harry only drinks coffee, he is lost on us forever. No tea for him."

With a snort Harry got up from the table placing his mug into the sink "I like my tea just fine but coffee means more caffeine and I need it for my work."

The horror on Sirius face had him pausing momentarily "You're going back to your research in the library?" the horrified question burst from Sirius in a way that had Remus chuckling quietly as he leaned on the counter watching them holding his steaming cup of tea.

Raising an eyebrow in amusement and seeing the humor in Remus's eyes he said levelly "No I'm leaving on an errand with Professor Dumbledore. We'll be back later." Glancing at his watch he added "in a couple of hours probably."

"What? Where are you going?" Sirius sat up straight in his chair, serious all of a sudden.

"Later Sirius." Was the only answer he got as Harry left the kitchen then slammed the front door on his way out of the house.

"Shouldn't we follow him? It could be dangerous for him out there, with Voldemort sending his Death eaters to investigate him!"

"Leave him be Sirius it looks like he knows what he's doing. Didn't you hear a word of what he said last night? He fought a war and he's an almost certified Auror." Remus said before adding to make his point clearer to the upset Sirius "If he can finish Auror training in a year and by the age of nineteen then I think we can trust him to take care of himself."

Sirius stayed quiet for some seconds before saying "you're right Remus, Dumbledore's with him he'll be safe."

Rolling his eyes at his oblivious friend Remus sat down contemplating the young man everyone was underestimating but whom, after all his surprising revelations of the night before along side his minor slip ups was painting a picture of his world and of his life that makes him quite a formidable opponent. It was a good thing he was on their side was Remus's conclusion.

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

**Author Note**: another chapter done … in answer for the reviews I got after the last chapter I'd just like to say that the Ginny-Horcrux situation will be more relevant in the next chapters as Harry works to destroy all the Horcruxes. Unfortunately the solution is not going to be simple as she's been possessed for quite some years and not a couple of months like in Harry's world…

Hope you like, and Reviews, Suggestions and comments are always welcome.


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